Russian detained in Poland on spying suspicion also photographed transport in Estonia
A 55-year-old Russian, Alexander Mashovets, a longtime amateur transport photographer, was detained in Poland on suspicion of espionage. He has been charged and remanded in custody for three months.
Alexander Mashovets, a 55-year-old Russian citizen, was detained on 30 October in Świdnica, a city in Poland's Lower Silesian Voivodeship, on suspicion of espionage over photographs of trains. Reports now indicate he has spent many years as an amateur photographer of vehicles, including trains and aircraft, and that some of his pictures were taken in Estonia.
Circumstances of the arrest
Polish police say the man photographed passing trains, as well as the city's railway infrastructure, from the window of his car. The account was relayed by the Estonian public broadcaster ERR's Russian-language service, citing the German outlet Deutsche Welle. Devices seized from him contained numerous photographs of transport facilities in Poland and other countries. He has been charged under the espionage article and ordered held in custody for three months.
What is known about the photographer
His identity was disclosed on Friday, 30 October, by his sister Ksenia Sukhorukova, an employee of Russia's Channel One television network, in a Facebook post. According to the outlet The Insider, Mashovets runs an Instagram page with more than 5,000 followers. Of its more than 2,000 posts, a significant share, spanning almost 10 years, are photographs of trains, planes and other transport. Since at least 2023 he has also posted images from Germany, Estonia and Hungary.
The sources do not mention any evidence against him beyond the photographs.
