Lawyer: Spy Igor Sutyagin seen arriving in Vienna in apparent spy swap between US and Russia

Lawyer: Russian spy Sutyagin may be in Vienna

MOSCOW — A lawyer for Igor Sutyagin, a Russian analyst accused of spying for the United States, says he has reportedly been flown to Vienna in what appeared to be the first step of a complicated Russia-U.S. spy swap.

Lawyer Anna Stavitskaya says a journalist called Igor Sutyagin’s family to inform them that Sutyagin was seen walking off a plane in Vienna on Thursday. However, she told The Associated Press she couldn’t get confirmation of that claim from Russian authorities or other sources.

Sutyagin’s relatives say he told them he was going to be one of 11 convicted spies in Russia who would be freed in exchange for 11 people charged in the United States with being Russian agents. They said he was going to Vienna, then London.

Russian and U.S. officials have refused to comment.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian news agencies say Igor Sutyagin, a Russian convicted of spying for the United States, has been flown to Vienna in what appeared to be the first step of a Russia-U.S. spy swap.

The state news agency RIA Novosti cited Sutyagin’s lawyer as saying he arrived Thursday. Lawyer Anna Stavitskaya could not immediately be reached for confirmation.

Sutyagin’s relatives say he had told them he was going to be one of 11 convicted spies in Russia who would be freed in exchange for 11 people charged by the United States with being Russian agents.

Russian and U.S. officials have refused to directly comment on any possible exchange.