The defense attorney for Ukrainian citizen Roman Suschenko, who was detained in Moscow on charges of espionage, have been denied by his defense attorney.

"Suschenko worked in Paris as a correspondent of Ukrinform. He engaged in journalism only. I do not understand why he was charged with espionage," lawyer Mark Feygin told Interfax on Monday.

Feygin said his client travelled to Russia as a private citizen.

"Suschenko's wife contacted me after he was detained and asked me to represent his interests. He is presently been held in the Lefortovo pretrial facility and, probably, has already been arrested. I will try to get in to see him," the lawyer said.

Ukraine's national information agency Ukrinform has said the detention in Moscow of its correspondent based in France Suschenko is a provocation.

"Ukrinform is deeply troubled by the detention in Moscow on Friday, September 30, of our correspondent Roman Suschenko and information appearing in Russian media about charges he was engaged in 'espionage.' Ukrinform views the detention of Suschenko, who has worked for our agency since 2002, and as our correspondent in France since 2010, as a planned provocation," the agency said.

According to Ukrinform, Suschenko was on holiday when he was detained and travelled to Moscow on personal business. He was detained on the same day as arrival and, according to Ukrinform, the arrest is tantamount to a violation of all international rules in as much as Russian authorities failed to notify anyone, including his wife, Ukrainian authorities and his employer.

Suschenko's wife Anzhela, who resides in France, first learned of her husband's arrest on October 2 after calling he husband's relatives, who said that he had not been in contact with them for two days.

"Suschenko's relatives chose their words carefully, evening avoiding the word 'detained,'" Ukrinform said.

Suschenko's wife then called the Hot Line at the Ukrainian embassy in Moscow and sent the embassy an official note on the disappearance of her husband.

During the early hours of October 3 Ukrinform and Suschenko's wife did not receive any information from Russian officials about his whereabouts. His telephone was switched on to 'answering machine' mode. Ukrinform and Suschenko’s wife learned about charges of espionage from Russian news reports.

"Ukrinform declares that all charges of espionage involving Roman Suschenko, a veteran journalist with an impeccable reputation accredited in one of Europe's most important countries, a member of the so-called Normandy Four, may only be viewed as another nasty, illegal act committed by the Russian Federation against a Ukrainian citizen. Ukrinform calls on the community of journalists to defend our colleague and with the help of international human rights organizations, diplomatic missions of Ukraine and foreign governments to work to secure Roman's release," Ukrinform's statement says.

The press service of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) told Interfax on Monday that "Colonel Roman Suschenko, an employee of Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Armed Forces was detained in Moscow while carrying out intelligence gathering activities."

The FSB said that the Ukrainian citizen "deliberative collected state secrets about the activities of the Russian Armed Forces and the National Guard of the Russian Federation, information which could damage the defense capabilities of the Russian government."

Russia's FSB has opened a criminal case pursuant to Article 276 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (espionage) and is conducting an investigation.