Ukrainian authorities charge Russian citizen with spying for FSB

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said it has detained a Russian citizen in the western city of Rivne on suspicion of spying on Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SSO) at the direction of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), the agency announced on Telegram on Feb. 11.

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said it has detained a Russian citizen in the western city of Rivne on suspicion of spying on Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SSO) at the direction of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), the agency announced on Telegram on Feb. 11.

According to investigators, the suspect is a 28-year-old man who previously served as a reconnaissance officer in Russian military intelligence in 2018–2019.

The SBU said he arrived in Rivne in 2021, posing as an ordinary resident of Russia’s Krasnoyarsk region with Ukrainian roots. Once in Ukraine, he allegedly began collecting information SSO service members and transmitting it to the FSB through secure communication channels.

Authorities said the suspect was also gathering data on individuals who secretly cooperate with Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces and are involved in classified missions.

SBU counterintelligence officers exposed the alleged spy, documented his activities, and detained him during the final stage of the operation.

During a , officers reportedly seized Russian military uniforms and official Russian documents.

The suspect has been formally charged under Part 1 of Article 114 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code (espionage). He is being held in custody without the option of bail. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property, law enforcement officials said.

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