Ukraine's security service arrests man accused of aiding Russian strikes Photo

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has detained a man in the Donetsk region on suspicion of acting as an agent for Russia’s military intelligence, authorities said.

According to investigators, the suspect gathered coordinates for potential air strikes targeting the cities of Kramatorsk and Druzhkivka, Caliber.Az reports citing SBU.

The SBU said Russian forces had intended to use heavy high-explosive aerial bombs, including FAB-500 and larger FAB-1500 munitions equipped with planning and guidance modules, in order to inflict maximum damage on reserve command posts, fortified positions and logistics depots used by Ukrainian forces.

In a statement, the agency said its counterintelligence officers had documented the man’s alleged reconnaissance activities step by step in a frontline area. Security measures were simultaneously reinforced at Ukrainian defence positions along the Kramatorsk axis before the suspect was detained at his home.

The investigation found that the man, described as an unemployed local resident, had allegedly been recruited remotely after seeking “easy money” through Telegram channels said to be administered by Russian intelligence services.

Following recruitment, he reportedly travelled around frontline communities to identify, photograph and mark locations of Ukrainian positions on digital maps. The SBU said he stored the collected data on his mobile phone for later transmission to a handler in Russia, while coordinating his movements via a messaging application.

During searches, officers seized a mobile phone said to contain evidence of intelligence gathering and contacts with a Russian operative.

The suspect is currently in custody and faces the possibility of life imprisonment with confiscation of property if convicted.

By Aghakazim Guliyev