The Security Service of Ukraine has successfully prevented a series of planned Russian airstrikes targeting Ukrainian railway infrastructure in the Kharkiv region.
Through a multi-stage special operation, the SSU dismantled an espionage network operated by the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate, which had been coordinating Russian attacks on critical infrastructure in Ukraine.
Two Russian military intelligence agents were apprehended for planning attacks on Ukrainian troop trains transporting personnel, equipment, and ammunition to the front lines.
The key figure in this case was identified as a Russian citizen and the head of a Kharkiv-based Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) parish, who had been recruited by Russian intelligence before the full-scale invasion. Following the invasion, the priest was contacted by a Russian GRU operative, whose identity has been confirmed by the SSU.
The operative tasked the cleric with gathering information on the schedules and routes of Ukrainian troop trains in the Kharkiv region. To obtain this intelligence, the priest enlisted the help of a contact working at a local branch of Ukrzaliznytsia.
It was discovered that the official provided the cleric with access to confidential documents detailing departure and arrival times, as well as unloading locations for Ukrainian Defense Forces trains. The cleric was instructed to transmit this information via an anonymous chat in a messaging app, using coded symbols and pre-arranged "emojis" for added secrecy. Communication was regularly deleted after each session.
The planned strikes were intended to be carried out based on the coordinates provided by the cleric. The SSU uncovered the espionage operation in time, thwarting the enemy’s plans. Both suspects were arrested at their homes following a coordinated operation.
During the search, mobile phones and SIM cards containing evidence of their espionage activities were seized.
The SSU has charged the cleric and his accomplice under Article 114-2 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code (unauthorized dissemination of information about the movement of weapons and military equipment during wartime), which carries a penalty of up to 12 years in prison. The suspects are currently in custody, and additional charges may be considered.
