The operation was conducted in Odesa Region together with Navy special intelligence
Military counterintelligence of the Security Service of Ukraine conducted a multi-stage operation to lure a former director of an extracurricular educational facility in Yevpatoriya out of temporarily occupied Crimea. The suspect was detained in Odesa Region. This is reported by the portal PromPolitInform, citing the Telegram channel of Security Service of Ukraine.
The suspect was detained thanks to testimony provided by his former colleague, who had been forcibly held on the peninsula by Russian occupiers. Ukrainian intelligence officers successfully extracted the woman from Crimea, after which she assisted in exposing the collaborator and provided relevant statements.
The investigation established that prior to the 2014 events, the detainee headed an extracurricular educational institution in Yevpatoriya. Following the start of the occupation, he supported the aggressor state’s actions and was appointed by the occupation administration to lead the seized institution for ideological indoctrination of youth.
Militarisation of youth and involvement in deportation
In his role, the official involved students aged 5 to 18 in military-propaganda activities disguised as sports or cultural events. Active Russian military personnel conducted fire and tactical training sessions with children inside the facility.
Additionally, the suspect publicly addressed teenagers and parents with speeches supporting the Kremlin regime and glorifying Russian forces. The investigation also documented his involvement in the deportation of children from occupied areas of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions to Russia via Crimea.
Verification of intent and criminal liability
Law enforcement authorities are currently checking information that the occupation administration may have sent the suspect to Odesa Region to gather intelligence on the positions of the Ukrainian Defence Forces.
SBU investigators notified the detainee of suspicion under Part 3 of Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (collaborative activity). The suspect is held in custody and faces imprisonment.
The operation was executed jointly with the Angels special intelligence detachment of the Ukrainian Navy under the procedural guidance of the Prosecutor’s Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol.
Photo: Security Service of Ukraine
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