Moscow has uncovered a Pakistani spy network allegedly run by the country’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) that sought to smuggle out sensitive Russian air defence and military helicopter technology.
Quoting sources familiar with the matter, Economic Times reported that Russian authorities carried out a counter-espionage operation in St. Petersburg, where a Russian national was arrested while attempting to smuggle classified documents related to the development of military helicopter and air defence systems.
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The intercepted material reportedly included technical data connected to Mi-8AMTShV and Mi-8AMTShV (VA) which are advanced Russian military transport and assault helicopters. The latter variant, designed for arctic operations, features enhanced insulation, a heating system, and long-range fuel tanks.
As per the ET report, this operation marks one of the first known ISI missions targeting Russian defence technology. It comes months after Operation Sindoor, when ISI operatives were accused of trying to smuggle technology related to advanced air defence systems produced in Russia.
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The report added that the S-400 missile defence systems, originally developed by Russia and acquired by the Indian Air Force, had played a decisive role during Operation Sindoor. India is expected to procure five additional S-400 systems as part of its ongoing defence modernisation efforts.
Last week, tensions escalated after the Russian Embassy in Islamabad publicly criticised an article published in Pakistan’s Frontier Post newspaper, accusing it of spreading anti-Russian narratives.
