High treason

Expressed in four forms (Article 275 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation):

— espionage, the concept of which is disclosed in Article 276 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, committed by a citizen of the Russian Federation;

— disclosure of information constituting a state secret, entrusted to a person or becoming known to him through service, work, study or in other cases provided for by the legislation of the Russian Federation;

— defection to the enemy;

— providing financial, logistical, consultative or other assistance — all of the above to a foreign state, international or foreign organisation or their representatives in activities directed against the security of the Russian Federation.

Other assistance can mean practically anything: from a nod of the head to the transfer of publicly available information.

It does not matter whether the assistance was received by the foreign recipient. What matters is the fact of transfer, forwarding, etc.

Espionage

The difference between this crime (Article 276 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and one of the forms of treason under the same name is that it is foreign citizens and stateless persons that are subject to criminal liability.

Disclosure of state secrets

The elements of this crime, provided for in Article 283 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, are very similar to one of the forms of high treason (Article 275 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

The difference lies primarily in the purpose: in the case of treason, it is the transfer of information to a foreign party in activities directed against the security of the Russian Federation. In the case under consideration, the disclosure takes place ‘within the circle' of Russian recipients without the purpose of transferring information to a foreign party.

The difference from another crime — the loss of documents containing state secrets (Article 284 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) — lies in the focus of the actions (or rather, inaction), the form of guilt — negligence, and the consequences, which are severe.

Cooperation on a confidential basis with a foreign party

A relatively new crime (Article 275¹ of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), which appeared in the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation in 2022: the establishment and maintenance by a citizen of the Russian Federation, a foreign citizen or a stateless person located on the territory of the Russian Federation of cooperative relations on a confidential basis with a representative of a foreign state, international or foreign organisation for the purpose of assisting them in activities knowingly directed against the security of the Russian Federation. This must take place without any actions in the form of transferring anything (information, funds, etc.). Otherwise, this crime is classified as high treason (Article 275 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), espionage (Article 276 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) or assisting the enemy in activities knowingly directed against the security of the Russian Federation (Article 276¹ of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

At the same time, if cooperation on a confidential basis takes place with a foreign party that carries out activities knowingly directed against the security of the Russian Federation, then, for example, if a Russian citizen transfers any information to the latter, another crime is formed — high treason, in which the foreign party carries out such activities without the criterion ‘knowingly'. And if a foreign citizen or stateless person provides financial assistance, a crime may be formed under Article 276¹ of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, where the foreign party is named as an enemy.

Provision of financial assistance

to a foreign party

Provided for by several articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, if such assistance is provided to a foreign recipient in activities directed against the security of the Russian Federation:

— Article 275, if provided by a Russian citizen;

— Article 276¹, if provided by a foreign citizen or stateless person located on the territory of the Russian Federation (this offence was added to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation in 2024);

In the second case, we are talking about providing such assistance to an enemy in activities knowingly directed against the security of the Russian Federation.

There are other offences that provide for criminal liability for illegal financing, which may also apply to foreign recipients:

— Article 205(1.1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation — financing of terrorism;

— Article 282³ of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation — financing of extremist activities.

Administrative liability is also provided for, for example, under Article 15.27 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation for failure to comply with the requirements of legislation on combating the legalisation (laundering) of proceeds from crime and the financing of terrorism.