Ukraine detains alleged Russian FSB agent preparing Kyiv strike data PHOTO

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) says it has detained an alleged undercover agent of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) in Kyiv, accusing him of preparing targeting data for Russian missile strikes after being “activated” following years of dormancy.

According to the SBU, the suspect had been recruited by Russian intelligence in 2014 and later placed on standby for future tasks before being reactivated this year, Caliber.Az reports.

“As the investigation revealed, since February of this year, he had been preparing coordinates for a targeted missile strike by the Russian army on Kyiv, including the home of the head of Ukraine’s State Emergency Service," the stateemnt said.

The SBU said the suspect, an IT specialist from Mykolaiv, was instructed to gather intelligence in Kyiv on potential targets, including public figures and senior officials in Ukraine’s security and defence sector.

According to the statement, Russian intelligence tasked him with identifying residential addresses and travel routes of individuals allegedly marked for possible sabotage or attacks.

The agency said the suspect operated under the cover of providing IT services and used social interactions to extract sensitive information, later expanding his network by recruiting another IT specialist from Odesa.

“He often operated under the guise of providing private services for the administration and maintenance of computer systems. He would then extract the “necessary” information under the pretense of casual conversation," the SBU said. 

The SBU alleged that the two suspects created an informant network that provided data on the deployment of Ukrainian military forces.

Security forces detained the primary suspect in a rented apartment in Kyiv, while his alleged accomplice was detained in Odesa. Authorities said smartphones containing evidence of cooperation with Russian intelligence were seized during searches.

Both individuals have been formally charged with treason committed under martial law. If convicted, they face life imprisonment with confiscation of property, according to the SBU.

By Sabina Mammadli