Lithuania detains Russian, Lithuanians in suspected spy ring

VILNIUS, Lithuania – Police in Lithuania say one Russian and several Lithuanians have been detained, suspected of being part of a ring spying for Russia.

Prosecutor general Evaldas Pasilis says those arrested include Valery Ivanov, a former anti-independence leader in the early 1990s, and Algirdas Paleckis, a former lawmaker and leader of the Lithuania’s Socialist People’s Front.

Pasilis on Wednesday declined to say how many people had been detained in connection with the case. He added that a gun was found in Ivanov’s apartment during a search.

The Russian Embassy in Vilnius said it is “actively engaged in the clarification of all the circumstances related to the detention.”