SBU Detained a Russian 'Mole' in the AFU Who Was Passing Coordinates of His Own Repair Battalion in Kharkiv Oblast

The military counterintelligence of the Security Service of Ukraine, with the assistance of the AFU command, detained a mobilized serviceman in Kharkiv Oblast who was acting in the interests of the FSB and passing Russian intelligence services the precise coordinates of the deployment of his own repair battalion. According to the SBU, the subject was planning to correct a missile strike on the location of his own unit and then leave the military base under the pretext of a hospital visit. The detainee has been notified of suspicion of high treason committed under martial law and is held in custody without the right to bail.

How the 'Mole' Was Exposed

According to the SBU statement, the agent was detained in a service vehicle directly as he was leaving the military base. Counterintelligence acted in coordination with the Commander-in-Chief of the AFU and exposed the agent in advance, taking measures to ensure the security of Ukrainian military locations. This means that the planned correction of the missile strike was not allowed, and the coordinates passed to the FSB handler were neutralized before they could be used.

Agent Profile and Recruitment Scheme

The subject was a mobilized serviceman holding the position of master electrician for the repair of unmanned systems in a mechanized infantry brigade. Russian intelligence services had recruited the man even before his conscription into military service. To bring the military-obligated man into cooperation, the FSB used his relative residing in the territory of Russia. After entering the army, the agent, in parallel with his main duty, collected data for the Russian side on the deployment points of his own unit and adjacent subunits.

Communication Tools and Seized Evidence

During searches, five smartphones were seized from the detainee, which he used in turn for encrypted communication with the Russian side. The multi-channel switching of devices allowed the agent to minimize the risk of the communication channel being tracked. It was through these channels that the coordinates of the repair battalion, for which the correction of the missile strike was planned, were transmitted.

Legal Consequences

SBU investigators notified the detainee of suspicion under Part 2 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — high treason committed under martial law. The subject is held in custody without the right to bail. The maximum penalty under this article is life imprisonment with confiscation of property.

Context: Parallel Counterintelligence Operations

The detention in Kharkiv Oblast became part of a series of SBU operations to suppress the sabotage and intelligence activities of Russian intelligence services. In particular, counterintelligence prevented a terrorist attack in the center of Rivne, where a Russian agent had planted an improvised explosive device near a state institution but was detained before it was triggered. In addition, in Kyiv, law enforcement officers detained an FSB agent who, according to the investigation, was preparing an assassination attempt on a Russian opposition leader heading one of the Ukrainian public organizations.