SSU counterintelligence detained 5 Russian agents in three regions of Ukraine

5 February, 2024 Officers of the Security Service during detention. February 2024. Photo credits: SSU

SSU counterintelligence detained five Russian agents operating in Odesa, Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions. The Security Service of Ukraine reported on this. One of the members of an enemy intelligence network was a process engineer at one of Zaporizhzhia's defense enterprises.

According to the investigation, the task of the agents working for the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation was to reconnoiter the places of the largest concentration of personnel and military equipment of Armed Forces of Ukraine in the frontline areas.

Officers of the Security Service of Ukraine during the detention. February 2024. Photo credits: SSU

They were also trying to identify ammunition and fuel and lubricant depots of Ukrainian Defense Forces.

In addition, they were interested in the geolocation and operation of industrial facilities where heavy weapons of the Ukrainian military are repaired. "At the same time, henchmen of invaders collected information about the consequences of enemy airstrikes and verified coordinates for new Russian missile attacks," the SSU said.

Officers of the Security Service of Ukraine during the detention. February 2024.

Photo credits: SSU

For the sake of secrecy, the detainees acted separately from each other, but were accountable to a single curator of the enemy group - an FSB officer. It is claimed that his identity was already known to the SSU. Among the detainees was an official of a department of one of the city councils of Donetsk region.

In addition to her, there were two other enemy agents in the region - the former head of a local utility company and a resident of Kramatorsk.

Officers of the Security Service carry out the detention. February 2024. Photo credits: SSU

Another participant was a process engineer at a Zaporizhzhia defense enterprise.

She was "leaking" to Russians data on the repair of military equipment at the plant's production facilities. One another Russian agent was an official of a transportation company from Odesa region. He was collecting information about the possible transfer of off-road vehicles for the needs of Armed Forces of Ukraine.

According to the SSU, before being recruited by the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, each of the defendants was a member of pro-Kremlin groups in popular messengers. As a result, they came to the attention of the FSB, which then remotely engaged them in cooperation.

Chatting between the detainees and their Russian curators from the FSB. February 2024.

Photo credits: SSU

"To communicate with the agents, their Russian curator created an anonymous chat room for each of them, from which all read chatting was deleted," the Security Service of Ukraine said. During the searches, the SSU officers seized mobile phones used by the detainees to communicate with their Russian curators. The SSU investigators have served the detainees a notice of suspicion of high treason.

The detainees are in custody.

They face life imprisonment.