Ukraine’s security service unveils major spy ring helping Russian missile strikes

Source & photos: Ukraine’s Security Service

In a dramatic counterintelligence breakthrough, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has uncovered a sprawling spy network linked to Russia’s FSB, which was plotting missile and drone attacks across six Ukrainian regions. The Russian-led covert operation aimed to gather critical intelligence on Ukrainian Defense Forces and infrastructure.

According to the investigation, back in March 2024, an FSB operative set up a secret chat-bot on Telegram to facilitate sabotage activities against Ukraine. The campaign lured people with allegedly pro-Russian sympathies.  Over the following months, it recruited nine persons from various regions, including Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kirovohrad, Sumy, Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, and Chernihiv.

Acting on instruction from their Russian handler, they spied on the sites of  Ukrainian Defense Forces.  They were tasked to gather coordinates for targeting critical infrastructure, monitor the movement of military equipment via road and rail, and report on hydro and thermal power stations.  They also sent photos and videos from the attack sites and relayed information about aircraft movements and air defense system activities.

The network included two officials: a city council representative in Dnipro and a senior official of the Yuzhne City Council.  Among the agents were also two salesmen, a university student, and even a former police officer.

The suspects are now in custody facing treason and espionage charges.