Spain expels two officials of Soviet airline as spies

April 29, 1982

Spain expelled the director of the Soviet airline Aeroflot and another company official for spying activities, a Spanish Foreign Ministry spokesman said. The director, Fedorin Nikolayevich, and an engineer, Vladimir Tirtishnikov , were respectively accused of trying to obtain information on the supply of US war materials to Spain and on Spanish arms manufacturers. The two, both suspected members of Soviet military intelligence, reportedly left for Moscow. The previous Aeroflot director in Spain was also expelled for espionage activities in February 1980.