SBU detains Russian agent in Dnipropetrovsk region
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has detained a Russian agent who was coordinating missile and drone strikes on Synelnykove, a front-line area in Dnipropetrovsk region, and who expressed hopes for the region’s eventual annexation by Russia.
This was reported by the SBU press center via Ukrinform.
The detained suspect, a 30-year-old unemployed local resident, came under Russian attention due to his pro-Kremlin comments on social media. In various online chats, he expressed aspirations for Dnipropetrovsk region to be "joined" to Russia.
A Telegram channel administrator, reportedly under Russian intelligence control, approached the suspect in one of these chats and remotely recruited him. His task was to gather coordinates for airstrikes in Synelnykove district.
The agent scouted the area, surreptitiously noting and photographing locations where the Ukrainian military units were stationed, as well as local electrical substations. He then relayed these coordinates to his Russian handler.
The SBU identified and detained the suspect at his residence, securing his mobile phone used for communicating with the Russian handler. Precautions were also taken to secure key positions of the Defense Forces in the area.
The detained individual faces charges under Part 2, Article 114-2 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code, which covers unauthorized dissemination of information regarding the movement or location of the Ukrainian Armed Forces under martial law. If convicted, he faces up to eight years in prison.
The operation was conducted by the SBU officers in Dnipropetrovsk region with the regional prosecutor’s office overseeing the legal process.