Estonia’s Unwanted Analyst
A Russian analyst who worked for Estonia’s public broadcaster has been expelled, raising questions about the contacts behind a familiar voice.
Two police officers accompanied Leonid Karabeshkin toward the Russian border at Koidula, in southeastern Estonia, in footage released by the country’s Internal Security Service, known as KAPO.
His expulsion on November 2 came with a ban on entering the Schengen Area, Europe’s shared travel zone. KAPO said the measure was intended to prevent activities threatening Estonian and wider European security.
The Russian citizen had spent years explaining international affairs to Estonian audiences. The security service now alleges that some of his contacts served another purpose.
Marta Tuul, a KAPO spokesperson, told ERR, Estonia’s public broadcaster, that Karabeshkin regularly visited Russia and met people connected to its intelligence services. She alleged that he shared information about Estonia’s Russian-speaking population.
The reporting reviewed by The New Backyard describes an expulsion and entry ban. It provides neither a court conviction in this case nor a response from Karabeshkin to the allegations.
