Ukrainian traitor who helped Russia aim deadly Kharkiv strike jailed for life

A Russian intelligence asset who helped Russian invasion forces launch missiles at the Kharkiv Regional State Administration and other facilities in the city was sentenced to life in prison.

This was reported by the Prosecutor General's Office, Ukrinform saw.

The court found the man, a Kharkiv native, guilty of treason, circulating information justifying Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine, and illegal handling of firearms.

The court sentenced him to life in prison and ruled that his property be seized in full.

Prosecutors proved in the court of law hat the man had been gathering sensitive information about the Armed Forces of Ukraine and infrastructure in Kharkiv from February to April 2022 through personal observation, conversations with local residents and recording data.

The man would pass intelligence to his Russian handlers through a social network that has been banned in Ukraine. His contacts were two women already working for Russian intelligence.

On February 28, 2022, the man sent one of his handlers the coordinates of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration. In addition, he provided data for the Russian strikes on the main office of the Khado company, and a number of other facilities that were also subsequently hit by the Russians.

The Kharkiv resident also published posts on social networks in which he denied Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine and approved the actions of the invasion forces.

As reported, on March 1, 2022, the Russian military fired two Kalibr missiles at the HQ of the regional administration in the center of Kharkiv. According to the prosecutor's office, 31 people were killed.