The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed on Thursday Israeli military attache Col. Vadim Leiderman was caught receiving secret information from a Russian national on May 12 and expelled from the country.
It said Leiderman was declared persona non grata “in connection with activity incompatible with his diplomatic status” and ordered to leave Russia “within 48 hours, which he did.”
Israel’s YNET News portal said earlier on Thursday Leiderman was detained while meeting with a Russian army officer at a cafe in Moscow and that Israeli security officials had concluded the charges against him were “baseless.”
Leiderman had served as an Israeli military attache in Russia since 2008 and was due to leave in July.
MOSCOW, May 19 (RIA Novosti)