Estonia deports Russian Leonid Karabeshkin over alleged ties to Russian intelligence

Expulsion and entry ban

Estonia's Internal Security Service (KAPO) deported Leonid Karabeshkin, a Russian academic and former journalist, on Monday, and imposed a ban on entering the Schengen zone (Estonsko deportovalo Rusa, který donášel Moskvě na rusky mluvící lidi – Novinky.cz) (Эстония выслала российского журналиста Леонида Карабешкина, которого заподозрили в связях со спецслужбами – Meduza) (Естонія видворила росіянина через зв'язки зі спецслужбами РФ – Українська правда). Estonian public broadcaster ERR first reported the case.

Alleged intelligence links

KAPO says Karabeshkin had ties to Russian intelligence services, including the FSB, and to people working on their behalf. KAPO spokeswoman Marta Tuul said he travelled regularly to Russia and met officers there, and that several of those contacts are under EU and Ukrainian sanctions for hostile influence operations. According to KAPO, he passed the Russian services information about Russian-speaking people in Estonia.

Tuul also linked him to pro-Russian groups that run hybrid influence operations in Europe, naming the Center for International and Regional Politics (CIRP), the RuBaltic analytical centre and the Regnum news agency. Police reportedly say he kept contact with Sergei Rekeda and Sergei Rudnov, the latter under UK and Ukrainian sanctions.

Background

Karabeshkin moved to Estonia from St. Petersburg in 2006. From 2022 to 2024 he worked in the Russian-language newsroom of ERR and appeared as a guest commentator on Russia in Russian-language media. Media reports say he also taught and did research at the private university Euroacademy in Estonia.

ERR initially did not mention his newsroom job in its report on the deportation. ERR chair Erik Roose later said the broadcaster had no suspicions about Karabeshkin and that no influence activity had affected its content. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said the country would not tolerate such activity.

KAPO did not specify which concrete actions led to the deportation.