Counterintelligence officers of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) have detained an FSB agent in Odessa region. The suspect turned out to be a former serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine who had been recruited by Russia. He left military service in 2005 and settled in the port city.
After the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the man re-established contact with a former subordinate who now commands a battalion within a separate Russian motorized rifle brigade fighting on the Pokrovsk axis. During their communication, the suspect offered to assist the Russian military in directing missile and drone strikes against the regional center.
The Russian battalion commander reported the contact to the FSB, which subsequently recruited the traitor. After being recruited, the agent was tasked with monitoring the locations of Ukrainian military units and defense enterprises that Russian forces were preparing to target with air strikes. The investigation established that the priority targets for Russian forces were air defense units protecting Odessa region.
Russian forces were also interested in the coordinates of local companies involved in fulfilling defense contracts, including drone manufacturing. To obtain intelligence, the agent used his professional knowledge and extensive contacts among former and active military personnel, discreetly extracting the information he needed. Whenever he obtained the geolocations of defense-related facilities, he conducted additional reconnaissance near the sites using his own vehicle.
During these reconnaissance missions, he also monitored maritime traffic in the coastal waters and tracked the schedule of vessels entering the Port of Odessa on behalf of the FSB.
SSU officers exposed the suspect at an early stage of his espionage activities and took measures to secure the locations of Ukrainian facilities.
After documenting his crimes, law enforcement officers detained him at his place of residence. During a search, investigators seized a smartphone that he used to collect intelligence and communicate with the FSB.
SSU investigators have notified him of suspicion under Part 2 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (high treason committed under martial law). The suspect remains in custody without the right to bail. He faces life imprisonment with confiscation of property.
