Wall Street Journal concerned about detention of its correspondent in Russia

WASHINGTON. March 30 (Interfax) - The Wall Street Journal has expressed concern about the detention of its employee Evan Gershkovich in Yekaterinburg.

"The Wall Street Journal is deeply concerned for the safety of Mr. Gershkovich," the U.S. media outlet said in a statement.

Earlier on Thursday, the public relations center of the Russian Federal Security Service reported the detention of Gershkovich in Yekaterinburg on suspicion of espionage.

"The Russian Federal Security Service put an end to the illegal activity of U.S. citizen Evan Gershkovich, born in 1991, a correspondent of the Moscow bureau of the U.S. newspaper The Wall Street Journal accredited by the Russian Foreign Ministry, suspected of spying for the U.S. government," the FSB said.

According to the FSB, Gershkovich, "acting on the orders of the U.S., was gathering information about a Russian defense plant that constitutes a state secret."

"The American was detained in Yekaterinburg while trying to obtain secret information," it said.