A Ukrainian railway engineer spied on Lyman’s defenses for Russia using Google Maps
A former railway engineer tried to pass Ukrainian military locations to a handler to help Russia's strikes. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
A Ukrainian court sentenced a former Lyman railway depot chief engineer to 15 years in prison and asset seizure on August 11, according to Ukraine's Security Service (SBU). The engineer allegedly assisted Russia in targeting frontline cities by providing locations of Ukrainian positions for guided-bomb and artillery strikes. Lyman, which blocks Russia's northern approach to Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, is part of Ukraine's "fortress belt" in the Donbas region.
As supply line attacks increase, such information aids Russia in directing bombs and artillery. Russian intelligence has frequently recruited individuals within Ukraine to identify targets, employing money, blackmail, and threats to family members. The former engineer reportedly surveyed Lyman and its surroundings with Google Maps, marking potential targets, and then transmitted screenshots to a Russian handler via a messaging app.
An acquaintance described as a "DNR deputy" in occupied Donetsk Oblast facilitated his connection with Russian intelligence. The SBU detained him in Sloviansk in May 2026, after finding evidence on a seized smartphone. The SBU has not disclosed the man's identity, the court, or specific strikes enabled by his information. Russian intelligence tactics often involve money, blackmail, and online platforms to recruit locals, sometimes starting with minor tasks before escalating to more severe sabotage.
Previous cases in Ukraine include a Zaporizhzhia man convicted for bomb-making and a Dnipro suspect accused of activating over 1,000 Starlink terminals for Russian forces. Ukraine has previously prosecuted similar instances.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
