Russian 'sold CIA missile secrets'

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev speaking at a meeting with top officials of the Federal Security Service (FSB) in Moscow(AP)

Published: 1:12pm, 10th February 2012
Updated: 5:19am, 11th February 2012

A Russian military officer has been convicted of passing missile secrets to the CIA and sentenced to 13 years in prison.

The Federal Security Service, the main successor to the KGB, said Lt Col Vladimir Nesterets pleaded guilty to charges of passing classified data about missile tests to the CIA for money.

It said Nesterets was convicted by a military court today.

Nesterets worked as a senior engineer at Plesetsk launchpad in north-western Russia. The facility run by the Russian military is used both for launching satellites into orbit and for testing missiles.

A terse statement issued by the FSB did not say when Nesterets was arrested or give any further details.