Wagner mercenary who was adjusting Russian airstrikes detained in Ukraine

The Security Service of Ukraine has detained a Wagner Group mercenary in Rivne Oblast whom Russian intelligence "deployed" to Ukraine for sabotage activities. Source: Rivne Oblast Prosecutor's Office; Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) Details: The prosecutor's office reports that the 34-year-old Belarusian citizen was a member of several illegal armed groups of militants in the occupied territories of Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts from 2014 to 2017, where he fought against Ukraine.

In 2023, the man joined the artillery unit of the Wagner Group and took part in combat actions against the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast.

The SSU specifies that the man joined the ranks of the Wagner Group at the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He participated in the Bakhmut offensive and adjacent settlements, then returned to Belarus, where he received tasks from his handler. The prosecutor's office reports that on 11 January 2024, the militant illegally crossed the border of Ukraine to carry out a mission assigned by his handler.

The mission involved preparing a sabotage operation that would disable the central regions. Specifically, the man was supposed to install GPS trackers on energy infrastructure facilities in Rivne Oblast so that Russia could obtain precise coordinates of these targets for future airstrikes. The SSU reports that it learned about Russia's plan while the saboteur was still in Belarus.

Since then, Ukrainian intelligence has systematically documented his actions, from crossing the state border to arriving at the location of the intended sabotage in Ukraine. The Wagner member was caught red-handed as he attempted to attach GPS trackers to the supports of power lines supplying the Kyiv metropolitan area.  The prosecutor's office states that this occurred in the territory of Sarny district in Rivne Oblast.

He was found to be in possession of GPS trackers and starter packs from a Ukrainian mobile operator. Additionally, the saboteur used a forged passport of a Ukrainian citizen to conceal his criminal activities. The SSU reports that it is planned to serve the individual with a notice of suspicion under two articles of the Criminal Code: Article 113 (sabotage) and Article 258-3.1 (participation in a terrorist group or terrorist organisation). 

At the same time, the prosecutor's office reports that the person has already been served with a notice of suspicion and a pre-trial restriction has been chosen in the form of detention without the right to post bail. In addition to these two articles, the prosecutor's office mentions a third (Article 14.1 - preparation for a crime). The prosecutor's statement does not specify under which articles the person has been served with a notice of suspicion, but it states that the sanction of the article provides for punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of 15 years or life imprisonment, with confiscation of property.

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