Ukrainian lab assistant arrested for spying for Russians
10:26 AM EDT, July 17, 2024
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has arrested another spy. Officers apprehended a Russian informant who revealed the locations of Ukrainian checkpoints near Kharkiv.
A 36-year-old laboratory assistant from a clinic in the suburbs of Kharkiv was arrested on espionage charges. The SBU gathered substantial evidence against the woman, including video footage of her travels in the eastern outskirts of the city, where she covertly recorded the locations of checkpoints and fortifications of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The woman attempted to approximate the personnel and military equipment at military facilities around Kharkiv. She transmitted the gathered information via a channel on the Telegram social network. The recipient was her contact in Russian intelligence.
The SBU detained the woman at her apartment. During the search, officers found and confiscated a smartphone. In its memory, officers found additional evidence of criminal activities.
Spied for Russians - 36-year-old arrested
The woman did not hide her pro-Russian views. She actively sought opportunities to cooperate with Russian intelligence services, publishing classified information on social media. The occupiers eagerly utilized the intelligence data she provided.
The woman is currently in detention without the right to bail and faces up to 8 years in prison. The 36-year-old will be charged with unauthorized dissemination of information about the sending, movement of weapons, military equipment, and ammunition to Ukraine, and the movement or deployment of the Armed Forces or other military formations.
This is another arrest of an individual spying in Ukraine. In recent days, the SBU detained a married couple who passed information to the Russians about the defensive positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The woman and man were allegedly assisting in preparing missile strikes in Kharkiv and Sumy regions.
Russian intelligence operates very intensively online. Journalists from the "Important Stories" portal revealed that the FSB recruits people looking for "easy money" online. They commission the location and documentation of the Ukrainian army's defensive fortifications. "Very popular" assignments also include arson and other acts of sabotage.