SBU nabs ex‑plant worker planning drone strike on power grid
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has detained a GRU agent who planned an attack on power lines connected to the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant. The agent had installed a GPS transmitter on one of the main power line poles to guide Russian drones.
What do you need to know?
- Detention of a GRU agent: The SBU detained an agent from the Russian military intelligence agency, GRU, who was planning attacks on power lines leading from the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant to Kyiv and the surrounding region.
- Planned attack: The detained agent intended to direct Russian strike drones at high-voltage lines by installing a GPS transmitter on one of the main power line poles.
- Background of the case: The detainee is a former employee of the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant who resigned before the full-scale war began. In the spring of 2025, a liaison from Russian military intelligence contacted him.
The Security Service of Ukraine released a statement announcing the detention of a Russian military intelligence agent from the GRU. "The Security Service of Ukraine has detained another agent of Russian military intelligence in the Rivne region, known as the GRU. He was preparing a Russian airstrike on power lines supplying Kyiv and the greater capital region of Ukraine," the SBU stated.
The statement further detailed that the detainee was set to guide Russian strike drones towards the high-voltage lines connecting the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant to Kyiv and the capital region. To achieve this, he installed a GPS transmitter on one of the key power line poles.
He planned an attack on the Ukrainian power plant. Who is he?
According to the SBU statement, the detained agent is a former employee of the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant who resigned before the conflict escalated. In the spring of 2025, he was contacted by a liaison from Russian military intelligence in the Moscow region, who offered him money for cooperation. The detainee is currently in custody and faces a life sentence with confiscation of property.
This incident highlights another example of the SBU's ongoing efforts to protect Ukraine's critical infrastructure from threats posed by Russian intelligence.
