Russian Engineer Jailed for 13 Years for Passing Data to CIA

A Russian space center engineer received a 13-year jail sentence Friday on charges of passing secret strategic missile data to the U.S. Central Intelligence Service (CIA) in return for cash.

Russia's FSB security service said Plesetsk launch site engineer Vladimir Nesterets admitted receiving cash payments for information about "tests on Russia's latest strategic missile systems."

Russia uses its northwestern Plesetsk complex for both military and commercial launches.

The conviction came just days after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told an FSB meeting that foreign governments were stepping up their spying activities in the country.

Medvedev said at the time that the FSB had uncovered 199 foreign spies and agents last year. He added that some of those detained were Russian nationals working for Western states.

"The results of the FSB's counter-intelligence work for last year clearly demonstrate that foreign secret services are stepping up their activities in Russia," Medvedev said at the time.

Russia often discloses the arrest or conviction of foreign agents at a time of diplomatic tensions with the West.

Moscow is currently waging a heated war of words with Washington and Europe over the Syria crisis and is also upset with NATO plans to push ahead with the deployment of a new missile defense system for Europe.

The FSB in October disclosed holding a Chinese national on espionage charges linked to another missile system. The case was announced on the eve of a key visit to Beijing by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.