SBU nabs Russian accomplice for spotting strikes

That’s according to the press office of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), Ukrinform reports.

"SBU counterintelligence thwarted new attempts by Russia to obtain intelligence on Ukraine’s Defense Forces in the City of Dnipro. During a special raid, a Russian asset was detained," the report says. 

The perpetrator attempted to locate the air defense systems operating in the area, the inquiry learned.

Also, the culprit would record the main military supply routes and transmit the intelligence to a high-profile Russian blogger affiliated with Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party.

Ultimately, the enemy used the data to prepare missile and drone strikes on the city.

SBU operatives exposed the suspect at the initial stage of his subversive activity and comprehensive measures were taken to secure potentially compromised assets in order to protect them from Russian strikes.

The perpetrator, who turned out to be an ideological supporter of the “Russian world” concept, who ardently promoted the Kremlin’s policies on social media, caught attention of his Russian handler last summer, according to the SBU. The Russian blogger eventually reached out to the Ukrainian man, who agreed to clandestine cooperation.

In order to gather intelligence, the culprit would commute across the city on public transport, taking pictures of locations where Ukrainian troops were likely to stay or move in transit.

The suspect is facing up to 12 years in prison if found guilty in court.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the SBU exposed a Russian asset who had been collecting sensitive data on the Ukrainian air defense network in Cherkasy and Odesa regions.

Photo: SBU