Ukraine detains Russian spy in Kharkiv, accused of targeting key documents and Defense Forces

The SBU press service reported the information.

By identifying the locations of important documents, Russia aimed to destroy technological papers, plans, and drawings crucial for restoring industrial enterprises in the region. 

To coordinate the air attack, the Russian special service recruited a Russian citizen living in Kharkiv who works at a local branch of a popular bank.

“To obtain the coordinates of the targets, the suspect secretly tried to use his acquaintance, an employee of one of the local state institutions with access to classified information. Under the guise of domestic communication in the messenger, the Russian asked the woman about the location of secret document storage facilities,” the investigation established.

SBU counterintelligence exposed the spy at the initial stage of his criminal activity.

In addition, the investigation revealed that the suspect was also reconnoitering the Kharkiv base of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

Photo: t.me/SBUkr

To do this, he regularly traveled around the city in his own car and recorded the locations of Ukrainian defenders on a hidden video recorder.

According to the investigation, the spy was in direct contact with a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces (known as the GRU). Communication was maintained through an anonymous chat in a messenger.

SBU investigators served the offender a notice of suspicion under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:

Part 1 Art. 114 (espionage);

Part 3 Art. 114-2 (unauthorized dissemination of information about the Armed Forces of Ukraine, committed with the aim of providing such information to a state that carries out armed aggression against Ukraine).

The offender is in custody. He faces 15 years in prison with confiscation of property.

Note: according to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and cannot be criminally punished until his or her guilt is proved in accordance with the law and established by a court verdict.