16-year-old girl arrested in Chernihiv for spying on Ukrainian air defenses

Source: SBU

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said its operatives have detained a 16-year-old girl in Chernihiv after she was caught spying on regional defense forces on orders from Russia’s GRU intelligence agency. The young suspect faces charges of treason and could face life imprisonment.

The Chernihiv native, she was recruited to gather information that could help Russia plan its airstrikes on Chernihiv Oblast. She was tasked with tracking the locations of the Ukrainian air defense systems, including anti-aircraft missile complexes and radar stations.

The teenager used taxi rides about the city to scout various locations, recording and photographing targeted sites. The findings were sent to her Russian handlers.

SBU operatives arrested the girl while she was taking photos near a defense facility. Searches of her belongings uncovered a mobile phone containing evidence of her intelligence-gathering activities.

The girl has been charged under Article 111, Part 2 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code, for high treason committed under martial law. She remains in custody and, if convicted, faces life imprisonment with confiscation of property.

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