The Russian spy who was handcuffed by the SRI is Ivan Kutsenko, according to reports from the press across the Prut. The Russian publication “Agenstvo” writes that in 2020 he visited the Republic of Moldova. Details about his trip to our country and the purposes he had are not presented.
Kutsenko was born in the Russian region of Novosibirsk and is 40 years old. In 2008, he was accused of having attacked a man, in 2010 he worked as a porter, and in 2018 – as a sales manager. Details about his biography are practically not found in the public domain.
It is curious that, according to the Russian press, since 2007 he was a co-owner, CEO or director of some companies. Some firms had a turnover of almost 1 billion rubles annually, although the profit was only about 5000 rubles.
In 2008, Kutsenko, his brother, and another suspect allegedly forced a man into a car, drove him to a field, and, threatening him with a gun, robbed him of 250 rubles, a mobile phone, and a sweater. There is no public information available about the outcome of this case, according to the cited source.
Why a businessman with a turnover of almost a billion would resort to such actions and work as a porter is not clear.
It is also curious that, according to the Ukrainian database Mirotvorets, Kutsenko resides in a village in the Istkitim district, Novosibirsk.
According to public information identified by DisInfo, regular training sessions for future officers of the Russian intelligence service take place there, who are studying at a military education institution in Novosibirsk.
In his mission in Romania, Kutsenko would have received exact orders and the list of targets he had to photograph, writes Antena3. The obtained information would have been subsequently transmitted to Russia, through applications and encrypted communication channels.
Kutsenko’s mission would have begun at the start of 2026, including the period when United States tanker aircraft, intended for military operations in Iran, were arriving on Romanian territory. He was supposed to take photographs, including of Base 90 – Otopeni, where air transport missions are carried out.
Investigators and special services lured him into activities that allowed his non-stop surveillance, and after gathering evidence, they interrogated and preventively arrested him. Kutsenko contested the measure and said upon leaving the courtroom that he would not support Putin and that he considers him a criminal.
The Romanian authorities assert that the way the suspect allegedly acted is similar to the method used by sabotage networks coordinated by Russia in other European countries.