Security Service of Ukraine exposes Russian intelligence network

The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has exposed the agent network of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of Russia (GRU), which helped the enemy in the capture of Ukraine.

The network included MP Andrei Derkach, RBC-Ukraine reports with reference to the SSU.

According to the investigation, Derkach supervised the creation of private security companies in various regions of Ukraine, which were to contribute to the rapid capture of the country.

Now a pre-trial investigation has been launched against the MP.

According to SSU, the development of the network was neutralized back at the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion during the detention of a former assistant of the MP Ihor Kolesnikov. The latter was an employee of the Russian State General Staff with the call sign "Veteran" and acted as a liaison and financial courier between the special services of the occupying country and Derkach.

The people's deputy was recruited back in 2016. The leaders of the GRU - the head of the department Igor Kostyukov and his first Deputy Vladimir Alekseev - personally worked with him.

"MP, in particular, received funds from the Main Directorate of the Russian State General Staff to create private security structures, which the enemy planned to use for the capture of Ukraine. To implement his plans, the GRU allocated 3-4 million dollars every few months. According to the materials of the investigation, a considerable part of this money went to Derkach's pockets," the SSU press service said.

Kolesnikov, for his part, gave a lot of testimony after his detention regarding the activities of the network and its role in the full-scale war. Already in May, he was sentenced for treason.

"When the troops enter, when it will be clear that the cities begin to appear, these PSCs were supposed to ensure the passage of equipment, get on the armor with Russian flags, and thus ensure a peaceful entrance to the cities," Kolesnikov said.

The GRU, as the traitor noted, during the capture of Kyiv should have used two brigades of special forces and operation forces, which would have entered from the territory of Belarus.

"From there - to quickly advance into Kyiv, seize the government district and assemble a party in the Verkhovna Rada, which would have voted to establish a new government. However, these plans were completely destroyed by Ukrainian defenders," the SSU added.