Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter accredited to cover the conflict in Ukraine, has been detained by the Russian Federation on suspicion of espionage.

Russia’s state-controlled media, The Kremlin, confirming the arrest, said Mr Gershkovich was “caught red-handed” spying on the federation and “collecting state secrets” for the United States, a claim that has been debunked by WSJ.

On its part, the Russian security agency, the Federal Security Service (FSB), claimed the WSJ reporter was gathering “classified information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex that constitutes a state secret.”

It was not immediately clear where the reporter was picked up but security agents whisked him to Lefortovo district in Moscow where he was then formally arrested. He will be held in a detention facility until May 29.

The FSB, however, admitted Mr Gershkovich had been accredited by its foreign ministry to work as a reporter in Yekaterinburg, Moscow, 

WSJ has released a statement, denying the charge and demanding the release of their reporter.

“The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich,” said the publication.

Prior to his detention, Mr Gershkovich, a U.S. citizen, had been living in Russia for the last six years. Russia’s penalty for espionage is 20 years imprisonment.