A colonel of Ukraine’s Armed Forces detained in Kyiv over spying for Russia
An employee of one of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine’s strategic enterprises was detained in the workplace in Kyiv and accused of spying for Russia.
On April 21, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported the detainee is a native of Russia and a retired Colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“In July 2017, during his stay at his close relatives in Russian Federation territory, he was recruited by a career intelligence officer of the Russian military intelligence,” the SBU stated. “The former Ukrainian serviceman collected data to provide Russian supervisors classified information in the area of defense.”
According to the SBU, Russia intelligence services were interested in information on the state defense orders and the development of an innovative unmanned aerial vehicle detection system used in the military operation in the Donbas.
The agent attempted to acquire one of the unmanned aerial vehicles of Ukrainian production for further transfer to the Russia, as requested by the representative of the General Directorate of General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
“The spy contacted ‘supervisors during his visits to Russia and through e-mail correspondence,” the SBU reported. “After carrying out ‘the tasks,’ the perpetrator planned to go to the Russian Federation and obtain Russian citizenship. It was established that with assistance of the intelligence officer from the Russian Federation, another Ukrainian citizen was already granted a Russian residence permit, reregistering his military pension to receive it in the territory of the Russian Federation.”
The perpetrator’s workplace and residence were searched. Materials proving evidence of his illicit activities were seized.
The detainee was informed of the charges and placed in pre-trial detention center. Criminal proceedings have been instituted under article 111, p.1 for high treason. Investigative actions are currently being carried out.