Russian agent who guided ballistic strikes on Chernihiv region sentenced to 15 years in prison

An agent of Russian military intelligence who set up a "video trap" to help guide Russian ballistic missiles at targets in the Chernihiv region has been sentenced to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property.

That is according to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), Ukrinform reports.

The SBU detained the agent in the Chernihiv region in April 2025.

The investigation established that the suspect attempted to adjust a Russian missile strike on a railway station in the region which, according to the enemy, was involved in the transport logistics of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

According to the case materials, the occupiers' assignment was carried out by a 31-year-old former saleswoman from a local supermarket who had been recruited by Russian operatives. She came to the attention of Russian handlers while searching for "easy money" in Telegram channels.

To guide ballistic missiles toward Ukrainian targets, the agent was supposed to install a camouflaged video camera with a power bank and remote access near a local section of the Ukrzaliznytsia railway.

Using the video device, the enemy hoped to monitor the movement of a train and strike it while it was temporarily stopped at the station.

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In addition, the agent tracked the locations of radars and surface-to-air missile systems of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in order to help bypass Ukrainian air defenses during an aerial attack.

The SBU's military counterintelligence exposed the hostile plan in advance and detained the agent while she was preparing the missile strike.

During a search, officers seized a spy mini-camera and a smartphone containing an anonymous chat in a messaging app through which she had communicated with the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GRU).

Based on SBU materials, the court found the agent guilty under Part 2 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (high treason committed under martial law).