Washington Post: An American detained in Russia on suspicion of espionage was dismissed from the army for theft

US citizen Paul Whelan, who was detained in Russia on suspicion of espionage, was dismissed from the army in 2008 after several disciplinary actions. about this writes The Washington Post with reference to military department documents at its disposal.

According to the newspaper, Whelan has served in the US Marine Corps since 1994. In 2004 and 2006 he was in Iraq. However, in 2008 he was fired from the army, having been convicted of theft several times.

Whelan's acquaintances, in a conversation with the Washington Post, called him a regular visitor to Russia. According to them, he has been coming to this country since 2007. The suspect's twin brother David previously said that this time Paul came to Russia for the wedding of his friend, also a former Marine, and a Russian woman.

the detention of American Paul Whelan, suspected of espionage (Article 276 of the Criminal Code), on The FSB announced December 31, 2018. The department claimed that Whelan was detained while “carrying out an espionage action.” The detainee works at BorgWarner as director of global security. In particular, he is responsible for the security of the company's facilities in Michigan and other locations around the world.