A Latvian Member of the European Parliament (MEP), has been accused of working for the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) for at least 13 years. The revelation came to light through email exchanges exposed by an international group of investigative journalists, including reporters from Re:Baltica and The Insider.
Tatjana Zdanoka, a member of the European Parliament since 2004 and last elected in 2019 with the Latvian Union of Russians (LKS) party, is alleged to have corresponded between 2004 and 2013 with an individual identified by investigators as an FSB agent. However, she vehemently denied any knowledge of the person’s affiliation with Russian intelligence.
In emails obtained by The Insider, Zdanoka is alleged to have communicated with Dmitri Gladei, an apparent FSB contact. According to the investigation, Gladei, a veteran of the FSB from the St. Petersburg Central Directorate, exerted influence on Latvian politics between 2004 and 2013.
The investigative collaboration involving The Insider, Delfi Estonia, Re:Baltica, and Expressen alleged Zdanoka had regular contact with Sergei Beltyukov, an FSB agent since 1993.
The leaked emails alleged to have been between the pair appear to reveal explicit reports regarding Zdanoka’s work as a European legislator, apparently emphasising her efforts in promoting pro-Kremlin sentiment in the Baltic region.
The correspondence also delves into alleged organisation of physical meetings in Moscow or Brussels, requests for funding from Russian sources, and arrangements for pro-Russian activities in Latvia and the European Parliament.
Zdanoka’s alleged collaboration with the FSB, as exposed in the investigative report, has not surprised insiders in Latvia. Since entering politics in the late ’80s, she has been perceived as an agent of Russian influence in the country.
She actively supported Russian interests until the early ’90s after Latvia gained independence. Zdanoka obtained Latvian citizenship in 1996 and is fluent in Russian, Latvian, English, and French.
