The perpetrator posed as a special services officer to covertly gather intelligence on the Defence Forces
A resident of Ochakiv has been sentenced to 15 years in prison with asset forfeiture for high treason. The man guided Russian artillery strikes on Ukrainian military positions while masquerading as an SBU officer. This is reported by the portal PromPolitInform, citing the Telegram channel of Security Service of Ukraine in Mykolaiv Oblast.
A court has issued a verdict against a resident of the Mykolaiv region who worked for enemy intelligence. The criminal was found guilty of committing high treason under martial law, as stipulated by Part 2 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
To cover his tracks, the convict used a forged service ID and wore tactical clothing, impersonating an official from the regional office of the Security Service of Ukraine. This allowed him to move freely in his own vehicle and avoid inspections while gathering intelligence.
Modus operandi of the agent
The man was recruited by Russian special services after he began posting anti-Ukrainian messages on social media. Upon receiving instructions, he began tracking the deployment locations of units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Ochakiv and other districts of the region.
He filmed Ukrainian defender locations on his smartphone, which Russian troops later targeted with barrel and rocket artillery from the Kinburn Spit. Furthermore, the agent conducted reconnaissance on the results of enemy strikes to prepare for follow-up attacks.
Exposure and arrest
SBU counter-intelligence exposed the traitor and arrested him in April 2024 during investigative measures at his place of residence. During the searches, law enforcement officers seized the forged document, a mobile device with evidence of data transmission, and the uniform clothing.
The investigation was conducted by officers of the SBU Main Department of Internal Security together with colleagues from the Mykolaiv region. Procedural supervision of the case was provided by the Specialized Defence Prosecutor’s Office of the Southern Region.
Illustrative photo: Star61 / CC BY-SA 4.0
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