Ex-soldier gets 15 years in prison for spying on Ukrainian troops in Zaporizhzhia region

According to Ukrinform, the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) reported this.

Based on materials from the State Bureau of Investigation and the Security Service of Ukraine, the Khortytskyi District Court of Zaporizhzhia found a former serviceman guilty of state treason and desertion for collecting information on the movements of military equipment and personnel of Ukraine’s Defense Forces.

The man was mobilized into a military unit in Zaporizhzhia in early 2023. However, by August, he had deserted his post.

A native of Kamianka-Dniprovska, a town currently under Russian occupation, he had expressed pro-Russian views even before his military service. After deserting, he did not flee to Russian-occupied territory but remained in the frontline zone to act as a spy for Russia.

Using contacts in his hometown, he established communication with Russian intelligence operatives. Acting on their instructions, he monitored and photographed locations of Ukraine’s SSU regional office, including the buildings and its staff. He received financial compensation for the information via a bank card.

He later acquired wireless video cameras capable of live streaming and planned to install them along routes used by Ukrainian military equipment. However, he was caught before he could carry out this plan.

The court found him guilty under Part 4 of Article 408 and Part 2 of Article 111 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code (desertion and state treason), sentencing him to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property.

As previously reported, the SSU detained a Russian agent in Kharkiv who had been directing missile and bomb strikes on military targets in the city.