The Security Service of Ukraine conducted a special operation in Odessa, resulting in the arrest of an FSB agent who was collecting intelligence and preparing diversions in the region.
Over the past month, the suspect actively promoted himself as a potential candidate for the Ukrainian parliament. He joined a local environmental organization and placed political ads on several city buses. The investigation revealed that funds for both projects were provided by the Russian special services, and he sought a monthly reward of $5,500. The Russian agent also attempted to identify the locations of air defense systems and coastal defense facilities, including Ukrainian anti-ship missile complexes.
SSU operatives arrested the suspect during reconnaissance near a Ukrainian facility. The arrested individual, a local resident, was recruited by the Russian special services remotely in October, operating under the operational pseudonym "Mazepa."
He used a black market-acquired device for covert filming to document specific objects. He communicated information through a popular messenger app, using various phone numbers and accounts to mask communication sessions. Later, the hostile agent applied to join the Kremlin's "United Russia" party and hoped to enter the leadership of the occupation administration if the region was captured. During a search at the suspect's residence, a mobile phone with evidence of communication with the aggressor was found.
Additionally, Molotov cocktail bottles and an application to join a pro-Russian party were confiscated. Based on collected evidence, the SSU informed him of the suspicion of state treason under Article 111, Part 2, of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (state treason committed in wartime). He is currently in custody, facing possible life imprisonment.
The special operation was conducted by SSU personnel in the Odesa region under the procedural guidance of the regional prosecutor's office.
