Ukraine’s Security Service has exposed 17 spies this year

"In 2019, 538 criminal proceedings have been opened upon military counterintelligence materials. In particular, 192 [cases have been opened] over crimes against the national and public security; 9 — in the field of protection of top-secret information and information with restricted access; 128 — in the field of official activity and over corruption offenses - 128; 96 — in the field of economic activity,” the press service of the Security Service of Ukraine reports.

As noted, 119 persons have been served with the notice of charges and more than 100 cases have been brought to court since the beginning of the year.

Forty-three persons were sentenced to different terms and types of punishment, including two persons on high treason charges and sixteen more on terrorism charges.

Among the convicts, in particular, there are three members of the Sapphire agent group, set up by the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. They gathered intelligence information about the forces and hardware involved in the Joint Forces Operation and plotted holding anti-Ukrainian information actions on the instruction of Russia’s special services.

In addition, 115 members of the illegal armed formations of pro-Russian terrorists and their accomplices have been exposed this year. Twelve militants were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment.

Since the beginning of this year, the Security Service of Ukraine has recorded 67 facts of encroachment of representatives of 14 foreign countries on the information with restricted access; 21 foreigners have been expelled; the criminal activity of 17 agents of special services of foreign states has been terminated.

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