Ukraine's SBU exposes deserter recruited by FSB to direct Russian attacks on Dnipro
Military counterintelligence officers and investigators of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), with the assistance of the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, have exposed an agent of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB).
He turned out to be a mobilized serviceman who deserted his unit and later directed Russian attacks on the city of Dnipro, Ukrinform reports, citing the SBU.
Investigators found that the suspect first came to the attention of Russian handlers while searching for "easy money" in Telegram channels after fleeing his military unit.
After agreeing to cooperate with the FSB, the agent moved around the city and its outskirts to locate and record the coordinates of defense and critical infrastructure facilities.
Among the targets he sought were Ukrainian military checkpoints and backup command posts, as well as stations of the regional branch of Ukraine's state rail operator Ukrzaliznytsia.
To covertly record potential targets, the agent filmed the sites while pretending to talk on the phone.
Shortly after beginning these reconnaissance missions, the suspect decided to temporarily lie low at the home of his relatives in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
However, SBU officers had already documented his every move and detained him during the final stage of the operation.
During a search, investigators seized a smartphone containing evidence of cooperation with the enemy, including encrypted video files showing military facilities and their coordinates on Google Maps.
SBU investigators have served the suspect with a notice of suspicion under Part 2 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (high treason committed under martial law).
The suspect is currently in custody without the possibility of posting bail. He faces life imprisonment with confiscation of property.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, SBU counterintelligence officers in the Dnipropetrovsk region detained two agents of Russian intelligence services who had been directing missile and drone strikes on Dnipro and Kryvyi Rih.
Photo credit: SBU