The Ministry of Foreign Affairs requests consular access after a Romanian citizen, Adrian-David Chercio, was sentenced in Russia to 15 years in prison for espionage in favor of Ukraine.

The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed the conviction of Romanian citizen Adrian-David Chercio, who was tried by a court in the Krasnodar region and sentenced to 15 years in prison for espionage in favor of Ukraine.

Romanian authorities have repeatedly requested access to the Romanian citizen for consular assistance, but the Russian side has not responded to the requests. Chercio was accused of collecting and transmitting information about the air defense installations in Sochi, contacting an employee of the Ukrainian intelligence services.

The FSB stated that, following his arrest, a criminal case for espionage was opened, according to Russian legislation. The Romanian ministry is in dialogue with Chercio's family to provide them with information about his situation.