Who is the Russian spy arrested in Romania for alleged acts of sabotage

Russian citizen Ivan Kuțenko, 40, arrested on Tuesday evening in Romania for allegedly preparing acts of sabotage targeting facilities related to national security, had been in the country for some time, according to the independent Russian investigative publication Agentstvo. The Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) said that the man was settled in Romania, without saying when he moved here.

Agentstvo claims that Kuțenko is originally from Novosibirsk and has had several businesses in the timber, grain, and equipment trade. He was a partner or director of companies established starting in 2007, some of which have been closed. He allegedly still owns the company Avers, founded in 2012.

According to the same source, a 2008 police report from Novosibirsk mentions that Kuțenko, his brother, and another person were investigated for robbery. The three allegedly kidnapped a man, took him to a field, and stole his phone, money, and a sweater after the victim was injured with a non-lethal weapon. It is unclear how the case ended.

Data analyzed by Agentstvo show that Kuțenko traveled to Romania in 2019 and 2021, to the Republic of Moldova in 2020, and to Turkey at least once after the outbreak of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Romanian investigators are to establish the exact nature of his activities and any links to the sabotage operation.