Ukraine's security service detains spies recruited by Russian FSB

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained two Russian agents in the Kyiv region and in Zaporizhzhia. Among them is a design engineer at the Motor Sich plant.

The SBU reported that in early February they were recruited by a staff member of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) department in the Altai Territory, RBC Ukraine reports.

The recruitment took place through the Telegram channel, where the defendants periodically published their pro-Kremlin comments.

“According to the instructions of the enemy [Russia], the agents scouted the location of Ukrainian military installations and law enforcement agencies,” the report says.

The agent exposed in Zaporizhzhia was established to be a design engineer of the Motor Sich enterprise, who collected information about the Defence Forces on the territory of the regional centre.

The SBU officers detained the agent while he was carrying out an intelligence task - he photographed the buildings of the military hospital and the prosecutor's office with reference to the area.

Another Russian agent was detained in the suburbs of Kyiv when he tried to photograph one of the buildings of the State Emergency Service.

"Intelligence information was required by the occupiers [Russian forces] to carry out missile strikes on Ukrainian targets and prepare sabotage in the regions," the SBU said.

During the search, the mobile phones of the detainees were found with evidence of the fulfilment of tasks and correspondence with the FSB. Both defendants were reported on high treason articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The court ordered a measure of detention for the spies.