SBU cyber specialists foiled a new attempt by Russia to launch a missile strike on the military and critical infrastructure of Dnipro, the SBU reports.
The SBU conducted a multi-stage special operation in the regional centre and detained an FSB agent who was conducting additional reconnaissance near the Defence Forces hospital.
The attacker wanted to establish the approximate number of Ukrainian defenders who were undergoing inpatient treatment there. He also monitored medical transport arriving at the territory of the medical institution.
The suspect tried to transfer the information, along with the coordinates of the facility, to the FSB via an anonymous chat in a messenger. The occupiers planned to use the intelligence to prepare a missile attack on a military hospital in Dnipro.
Another potential Russian target was a local thermal power plant that supplies electricity to a large part of the metropolis. On the instructions of the FSB, their agent filmed the territory of the TPP and the surrounding area with his own phone.
The agent needed this information to find out about the technical condition of the facility to "take into account" in the preparation of a new series of air attacks on the city. According to the prosecutor's office, the suspect managed to pass on data about 4 facilities to the Russian curators.
The SBU officers documented step by step not only the FSB agent's intelligence activity, but also identified his Russian supervisor.
At the same time, comprehensive measures were taken in Dnipro to ensure the safety of the Defence Forces personnel and additional protection of critical infrastructure.
According to the investigation, the agent was a 22-year-old local resident who was remotely recruited by a Russian special service officer in February this year.
"The young man came to the attention of the aggressor as an active user of Russian Telegram channels looking for quick money. For cooperation with the occupiers, the traitor received a monetary "reward" on his own bank account.
The SBU investigators served the detainee a notice of suspicion under Part 2 Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The offender is in custody. He faces life imprisonment.