A traitor to the state or a spy?

On 27 July 2026, a media report was published regarding the arrest of a resident of Khabarovsk, with a headline stating that he had been charged with treason.

The same article stated, citing another media report, that the Khabarovsk resident had been spying for New Zealand’s intelligence services, which form part of the «Five Eyes» intelligence alliance alongside the US, the UK, Canada and Australia. That article stated that the Khabarovsk resident had, on his own initiative and with the aim of financial gain, made contact with representatives of New Zealand’s security and intelligence services.

This serves as a «marker' distinguishing actions that constitute espionage from other forms of treason (the disclosure of information constituting a state secret, or the provision of various forms of assistance).

Espionage, as a form of treason (Article 275 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), is characterised by a Russian citizen collecting and passing on information that does not constitute a state secret, on the instructions of a foreign intelligence service. Therefore, when a person does this of their own accord, it constitutes providing assistance (another form of treason).

Does this affect the punishment if the article of the Code is the same? Compare yourselves which sounds «more serious»: «traitor» or «spy»?

In any case, it should be noted that this account of the events distorts key points.