According to the SBU, a Russian agent who spied on the Armed Forces training grounds under the guise of an instructor was sentenced to 15 years in prison. According to the Prosecutor General's Office, the convict is a resident of Mykolayiv.
It is noted that the offender is a tactical training instructor of a local NGO. Under the guise of training at training grounds, he reconnoitered the locations of personnel, military equipment and ammunition depots of the Defence Forces.
SBU officers detained him red-handed in February 2023.
During the search of the detainee's apartment, firearms and ammunition were seized. The court sentenced him to 15 years in prison on the basis of the Ukrainian intel's materials.
According to the investigation, the detainee was in contact with pro-Kremlin blogger Sergei Lebedev (known by the pseudonym Lokhmatyy), who is hiding in Donetsk and works for the FSB.
The man contacted him on his own initiative via a popular messenger and offered his assistance in the war against Ukraine.
To gather intelligence, the Russian agent organised tactical training for local residents at military training grounds.
In addition, in order to obtain the "necessary" information, he tried to "secretly" use Ukrainian defenders whom he met during field training.
Based on the evidence collected, the court found the offender guilty under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
- p. 2 of Article 111 (high treason committed under martial law);
- p. 1 of Article 263 (possession of ammunition without a permit).