The counterintelligence unit of the Security Service conducted a multi-stage special operation, as a result of which they extracted an FSB agent from the territory of unrecognized Transnistria and apprehended him in the Odessa region. He had received hostile instructions to establish his own espionage network in southern Ukraine.
For this purpose, the suspect attempted to remotely recruit residents of the Odessa region, including local law enforcement officers.
To bring the Russian agent onto the territory of our state, SSU counterintelligence officers introduced a serving Security Service employee into his field of vision and created conditions for her 'consent' to cooperate with the enemy.
According to the scenario of the Ukrainian special services, the perpetrator arrived in the Odessa region to personally recruit the 'candidate.'
The operational combination by the SSU allowed for the step-by-step documentation of the criminal actions of the Russian agent and his apprehension 'in flagrante delicto.'
According to the investigation, the hostile operative turned out to be a Ukrainian citizen who had emigrated to Moldova in the early 1990s, where he participated in the conflict on the side of the so-called 'PMR.' Later, he became a sniper in a unit affiliated with Russia's 'internal troops of Transnistria.' Subsequently, the suspect received 'promotion' and was appointed the commander of a group in the 17th Special Purpose Unit 'Edelweiss' of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
While serving in the ranks of the Russian special forces, he took part in combat operations in Dagestan and Chechnya.
In 2014, he arrived in Odessa to incite mass disturbances in favor of Russia, for which he was wanted by Ukrainian law enforcement.
To avoid prosecution, the suspect fled to the fake 'PMR' (Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic), where in 2019, he was recruited by Sergey Zatika and Denis Marusik, representatives of the local 'MGB' (Ministry of State Security), to carry out FSB tasks.
At that time, he received the operational alias 'Scythian,' underwent training, and in 2023, began executing hostile assignments.
Among the priority directions of his intelligence and subversive activities was gathering intelligence on the dislocation and movements of Ukrainian Defense Forces in the front-line areas in southern Ukraine.
He also planned to acquire information about the operations and main tasks performed by Ukrainian special services in the region.
Currently, investigators from the Security Service of Ukraine have informed 'Scythian' of his suspicion under Article 111, Part 2, of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (state treason committed in conditions of martial law). He is in custody, facing potential life imprisonment.
In addition, comprehensive measures are underway to hold his 'curators' from the FSB accountable.
The special operation was conducted by the SSU employees in the Odessa region in collaboration with the Main Directorate of Internal Security of the SSU, under the procedural guidance of the regional prosecutor's office.
