The Security Service of Ukraine detained a spy from the Russian military intelligence who was preparing a new series of missile and bomb strikes on Kharkiv. The spy targeted secret locations storing critical technical documents, plans, and blueprints necessary for the restoration of industrial enterprises in the region.
To facilitate the air attack, Russian intelligence recruited a Russian citizen living in Kharkiv who worked at a local branch of a popular bank. The spy tried to use a female acquaintance, an employee of a local government institution with access to classified information, to obtain the coordinates of these targets. Disguised as casual conversation, the spy inquired about the locations of secret document storage.
The SSU's counterintelligence unit intercepted the spy's activities early in the operation, documenting each step and ultimately detaining him at his residence. The investigation revealed that the spy was also gathering information on the locations of Ukrainian Defense Forces in Kharkiv, using a hidden dashcam to record their positions while driving around the city.
The spy was found to be in direct contact with a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia through an anonymous messenger chat. During the search of the detainee's residence, authorities found a Russian passport, a dashcam with footage of military sites, and mobile phones with evidence of communication with the aggressor. The suspect is currently in custody and faces up to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property.