[Scan-DC] U.S. citizen Paul Brian Filmer was detained

[Alan Henney]

Russia & CIS Military Newswire

March 15, 2016 Tuesday 4:28 PM MSK 

Info about Russian Aerospace Forces collected by British military diplomats, U.S. citizen - source from security services (Part 2)

LENGTH: 424 words

DATELINE: MOSCOW. March 15 

Info about Russian Aerospace Forces collected by British military diplomats, U.S. citizen - source from security services (Part 2)

Materials evidencing violations of a number of British military diplomats and a U.S. citizen, who were trying to collect data about the Russian Aerospace Forces, have been referred to the Russian Foreign Ministry to make official representations to embassies, a source from the Russian security services told Interfax on Tuesday. 

"There is information about attempts made by representatives of foreign countries, among them accredited diplomats, to obtain information about the activity of the Russian Aerospace Forces in an illegal way, in violation of Russian laws," the source said.

"Materials regarding violations of the foreign citizens in the territory of Russia have been referred to the Foreign Ministry to make an official representation to embassies of relevant states," the source said.

Air Force Attache Carl Scott and Assistant Naval Attache Ryan Coatalen-Hodgson from the British Embassy to Russia visited the Mozdok district of North Ossetia in early March without a permit, he said, adding that the Mozdok district was listed as a territory with a special travel regime for foreigners.

"The British diplomats were seen secretly observing the territory of the Mozdok military airfield by means of special photo and video equipment during their visit. The Britons did not deny that they photographed certain facilities in the military airfield but refused to show the materials with reference to their diplomatic immunity. The administrative offense of the British subjects was recorded and they were offered to leave the area with restricted access for foreigners," the source said.

In his words, Scott and a technician from the military attache's office of the British Embassy were detained by the police in the Alagirsky district of North Ossetia in September 2012 after they had illegally arrived in a territory with restricted access for foreigners.

U.S. citizen Paul Brian Filmer was detained near the Chkalovsky airfield in the Moscow region this March, the source said. "He was using a radio scanner logged into the flight center's frequency and photographing military and special task aircraft," the source told Interfax.

The foreigner who arrived in Russia on a tourist visa was warned about the inadmissibility of such actions. "The U.S. citizen was released after his activity had been documented," the source said.

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(Our editorial staff can be reached at eng.editors at interfax.ru)