Russian spotter sentenced to 15 years in prison for directing strikes at Mykolaiv

Ukrinform reports this, citing the SSU.

“To help the enemy chart routes for its missiles and drones that would bypass Ukrainian air defenses, the suspect attempted to locate positions of air-defense missile systems and mobile fire teams of Ukraine’s Defense Forces. To do this, the agent installed a hidden video camera in the attic of the apartment building where he lived,” the statement reads.

Using this “observation post,” he monitored the activity of the Air Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during air raid alerts.

The man also tracked the approximate number and types of weapons used by Ukrainian troops moving toward the front line in the south.

He transmitted the collected data to his “handler” — Sergey Lebedev, known by the alias Lokhmatyi, who is hiding in Donetsk and works for Russia’s FSB and military intelligence.

SSU operatives detained the agent in November 2024 at his residence in Mykolaiv. Preventive measures were taken in advance to secure the positions of Ukraine’s Defense Forces.

During searches, law enforcement seized a smartphone, a video camera, and a flash drive containing evidence of his espionage activities for Russia.

Following a counterintelligence investigation and SSU inquiry, the court found the perpetrator guilty under Part 2 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (high treason committed under martial law).

As reported earlier, the SSU exposed a Russian agent who, posing as a cleaner, spied inside the homes of Ukrainian defenders in the front-line town of Druzhkivka, Donetsk region.