The Security Service has prevented new attempts by Russian intelligence to obtain up-to-date information about the defense of Kharkiv. The aggressor was particularly interested in the geolocations of fortified areas with heavy weaponry of the Ukrainian Armed Forces defending the city from the northern border.
Also, he sought information about the locations of mobile anti-aircraft defense groups hunting down Russian drones in the border areas of the region. To obtain intelligence, the Russian forces recruited a criminal informant living in the Vovchansk district of Kharkiv region. Disguised as an ordinary citizen, he traversed the border area, tracking the location of defensive lines and firing positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Upon returning home, the informant marked the recorded coordinates on Google maps to prepare a "report" for the Russian special services.
According to available information, the reconnaissance data was necessary for the occupiers to plan combat operations, including the involvement of sabotage and reconnaissance groups. SSU operatives timely exposed the Russian informant and meticulously documented his criminal activities. This enabled the safeguarding of the temporary bases of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the concealment of their movements, followed by the apprehension of the perpetrator in his own residence.
As the investigation revealed, the Russian collaborator turned out to be a 45-year-old repeat offender who had previously served sentences for theft and inflicting serious bodily harm resulting in the death of the victim. The former prisoner caught the attention of Russian intelligence due to his pro-Kremlin views, which he repeatedly expressed among his acquaintances. During the search of the detainee's residence, a mobile phone with evidence of his correspondence with the aggressor was seized.
Currently, SSU investigators have informed the suspect of the charges under Article 114-2 Part 2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (unauthorized dissemination of information about the movement or location of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, if possible to identify them on the ground).
The perpetrator is being held in custody and faces up to 8 years in prison.
