Russia arrests American ‘spy’ in Moscow

An American citizen has been detained in Moscow on suspicion of spying, Russia’s FSB state security service announced yesterday. The FSB said the American had been detained on December 28 but it gave no details of the nature of his alleged espionage activities. The Russians said he was facing criminal charges. Russia’s state news agency, TASS, named him as Paul Whelan, but the American authorities have yet to confirm this. ‘‘Russia’s obligations under the Vienna Convention require them to provide consular access,’’ a state department spokesman said.