Snowden may be on transit flight via Moscow: Russia

MOSCOW, June 23 (Xinhua) -- A former National Security Agency contractor sought by the United States for revealing classified surveillance programs may be aboard a transit flight via Moscow, the Foreign Ministry said Sunday.

Local media reported that Edward Snowden, 29, was on a flight from China's Hong Kong to Moscow enroute to a third country.

"According to some reports, Snowden may be traveling via Moscow as a transit passenger," the ministry's information department said, adding that it was trying to verify the information.

Snowden fled to Hong Kong on May 20 after exposing two highly classified NSA surveillance programs, one collecting U.S. phone records and the other mining Internet data.

Snowden reportedly was accompanied by a woman identified only as Sara Harrison on the flight to Moscow, according to some reports.

Aeroflot told local media that Snowden would arrive at Sheremetyevo airport at about 17:15 Moscow time (1315 GMT) on Flight SU213 as a transit passenger.

Since Snowden doesn't have a Russian visa, he will stay in the airport terminal until boarding Flight SU150 to Havana, Cuba, and a flight to Caracas, Venezuela, local media reported.

A Russian News channel said Snowden would board the Havana-bound flight at 02:00 Moscow time Monday (2200 GMT Sunday).

Some unverified reports said other possible destinations include Iceland and Ecuador.

Police at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport said earlier they have no plans to detain Snowden if he holds a valid visa.

"We have not received any instructions concerning this person. However, in order to enter Russian territory he should have a valid visa," the Interfax news agency quoted an airport police officer as saying.

Earlier Sunday, the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of China confirmed that Snowden had left the region for a third country.

"Snowden has left Hong Kong through legal and normal means for a third country," the HKSAR government said in a statement.

"The government has informed the U.S. government of Snowden's departure from Hong Kong," the statement said.

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