SBU detains Russian agent who fled Ukrainian training center

On August 14, Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) announced the detention of an individual who had fled a Ukrainian Armed Forces training center and subsequently became an agent for Russia's military intelligence agency, the GRU. Counterintelligence officials revealed that the detainee had directed artillery and drone strikes on Nikopol, a city in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

The investigation revealed that the individual was a local draft dodger who had been recruited by the enemy and had fled a Ukrainian training center before swearing the military oath. Once safe at his residence, the suspect began searching for quick money on Telegram channels, where he was approached by a Russian intelligence officer who offered him a job.

The suspect started providing the enemy with information about Ukrainian Defense Forces positions, including backup command posts and air defense units, in exchange for money. He covertly photographed and marked locations on Google Maps that he believed were being used by Ukrainian defenders. SBU representatives documented the suspect's illegal activities at an early stage and took measures to secure Ukrainian troops' locations and movement routes.

During a search, investigators seized a mobile phone containing evidence of the suspect's collaboration with Russian military intelligence. The man has been charged with treason under martial law and is being held in pre-trial detention without bail. He faces up to life in prison and the confiscation of his property.