Ukrainian Air Force officer exposed as Russian spy planning strikes on F-16, Mirage bases
Military counterintelligence of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has exposed a Russian military intelligence agent within the Ukrainian Defense Forces who was preparing enemy strikes on airbases housing F-16, Mirage 2000, and Su-24 aircraft.
This was reported by the SBU, according to Ukrinform.
Photo: SBU
The operation was carried out with the assistance of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi.
The perpetrator turned out to be a flight instructor — a major in a Ukrainian Air Force brigade.
The unit in which the suspect served performs combat missions such as intercepting Russian missiles and drones, as well as conducting airstrikes on ground targets to support Ukrainian Defense Forces operations from the air.
Investigators found that the agent was carrying out multiple hostile tasks. In particular, he provided information to help plan Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian Air Force facilities. Among the top targets were airfields used by F-16s, Mirage 2000s, and Su-24s.
The enemy collaborator gathered coordinates of the aircraft's locations, flight schedules, and deployment sequences.
To maximize the success of Russian strikes, he compiled and passed on an analytical report suggesting what he believed to be the best tactics for combined attacks. The goal was to help Russian forces bypass the defense of those military sites.
He also passed personal data of Ukrainian Air Force pilots to Russian military intelligence, along with aircraft tail numbers, armament details, and combat flight tactics.
To avoid detection, the suspect communicated with a Russian intelligence officer through an anonymous email account and used "secret chats" in messaging apps.
The SBU documented his criminal activity and detained him as he attempted to collect a new batch of data for the enemy.
He is expected to be formally charged under Part 2, Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — high treason committed under martial law.
The accused faces life imprisonment with confiscation of property.
As previously reported, a Ukrainian Air Force major was detained in the Lviv region in early July for gathering intelligence on Ukrainian military aircraft for a Russian special service.
First photo is illustrative: SBU