Ex-Lithuanian conservative exposed as longtime Russian spy

LRT reported the information, citing BNS sources.

The Lithuanian Prosecutor's Office determined that Manovas, holding dual Lithuanian and Russian citizenship, collected and transferred information to Russian services.  

According to the prosecutor, the suspect came to Lithuania "on a mission" and engaged in espionage activities since around 2018. He has no professional ties to Lithuanian institutions.

The Deputy Director of the Lithuanian State Security Department stated that the suspect was specially trained by Russian services and used advanced communication equipment for espionage.  

The pre-trial investigation began in January 2024 after identifying an individual who, according to intelligence agencies, was recruited and provided information to Russia's Main Directorate of the General Staff. Efforts are underway to identify his accomplices.

According to the investigation, the suspect collected information for money, traveling abroad to do so. The ex-Conservative gathered non-classified but sensitive information of interest to Russia, related to Lithuania's political situation and current events.  

Manovas may have had access to party leaders, officials, and even government heads and ministers.

Representatives of the Conservative Party stated that the prosecutor's announcement came as a surprise. Acting party leader Radvilė Morkūnaitė-Mikulėnienė said that no signals about possible espionage within the party had been received from law enforcement. She also noted that she was unfamiliar with the individual in question.

• In April, a district court in Gdansk, Poland, sentenced a Russian citizen accused of espionage to 2.5 years in prison. He collected data on military units located in the northeastern part of the country.