Evan Gershkovich: Russia charges US journalist with spying - reports

US writer Evan Gershkovich has been formally charged with spying successful Russia, according to section media.

The media reports said helium categorically rejected the accusations against him. The paper has demanded his contiguous release.

Following his arrest, the Kremlin said helium had been caught "red-handed".

Mr Gershkovich, 31, is good known among overseas correspondents successful Moscow and BBC Russia Editor Steve Rosenberg describes him arsenic an fantabulous newsman and a highly principled journalist.

The White House condemned his detention "in the strongest terms".

And connected Friday successful a uncommon associated statement, Senate Republican and Democratic leaders Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer powerfully condemned his detention.

"Journalism is not a crime," they said. "We request the baseless, fabricated charges against Mr Gershkovich beryllium dropped and helium beryllium instantly released."

US officials accidental they person sought entree to Mr Gershkovich but person not been capable to sojourn him. However, the WSJ said its lawyers had been fixed entree to him.

The Russian overseas ministry said the contented of consular entree was being resolved, but added that the "fuss successful the US astir this case, which was aimed astatine pressurising the Russian authorities... was hopeless and senseless".

The WSJ said its newsman had dropped retired of interaction with his editors portion moving successful Yekaterinburg, astir 1,600km (1,000 miles) eastbound of Moscow, connected Wednesday afternoon.

US officials said Mr Gershkovich's operator had dropped him disconnected astatine a edifice and 2 hours aboriginal his telephone had been turned off. The paper was incapable to find him successful the city.

Russia's FSB information work claimed that it had halted "illegal activities". The writer had been detained portion "acting connected US instructions", it added, alleging that helium had "collected accusation classified arsenic a authorities concealed astir the activities of a Russian defence enterprise".

FSB agents took him to a Lefortovo territory tribunal successful Moscow past Friday, wherever helium was formally arrested and ordered to stay successful detention until 29 May.

Espionage successful Russia carries a maximum jailhouse word of 20 years.

In his astir caller WSJ piece, published past week, Evan Gershkovich reported connected Russia's declining system and however the Kremlin was having to woody with "ballooning subject expenditures" portion maintaining societal spending.

Press state watchdog Reporters Without Borders said helium had gone to Yekaterinburg to screen Russian mercenary radical Wagner, which has taken portion successful immoderate of the heaviest warring successful eastbound Ukraine.

He has covered Russia for the Wall Street Journal for much than a year, having worked determination antecedently for the AFP quality bureau and the Moscow Times. He began his vocation successful the US.