The SBU has detained an officer in the Odesa region, the commander of a National Guard special forces unit, who is suspected of collaborating with Russian military intelligence. According to the investigation, he passed on classified information about the unit’s combat operations to the GRU and provided login details for his account on the National Guard’s secure system. The man has been remanded in custody without the right to bail.
Briefly about the main points
- The man arrested was the commander of a special operations unit of the National Guard of Ukraine.
- The SBU claims that data enabling access to a restricted system was passed on to the GRU.
- Russian intelligence sought remote access to information on combat operations.
- Investigators have linked the suspect to the arson attack on a military vehicle.
- The officer was informed that he was under suspicion of treason under martial law.
How the GRU attempted to gain access to the NSU’s data
According to the case file, the officer passed on classified information from a restricted information system to Russian military intelligence National Guard. To this end, he provided Russian security service officers with the login details for his account on a departmental online platform.
The SBU believes that the Russian side was hoping to gain remote access to data on the planning, preparation and conduct of combat operations, as well as to the algorithms used to manage the personnel of the special forces unit. The service stated that it had documented the suspect’s actions from the initial stage of his intelligence activities and, prior to his arrest, had taken additional measures to safeguard the confidentiality of the Defence Forces’ operations.
Investigators have linked the officer to the arson attack on a car and the planning of a terrorist attack
During the investigation, it was established that, acting on the orders of the Russian GRU, the suspect set fire to a military vehicle in the port city and filmed the blaze on his mobile phone, the SBU reported.
According to preliminary information, the next task may have been to manufacture a homemade explosive device and hand it over to a courier to carry out a terrorist attack in southern Ukraine. The investigation does not present this intention as an incident that was actually carried out.
Procedural status in a case of treason
During searches of the detainee’s premises, a smartphone, a laptop and other data storage devices were seized; according to the SBU, these contain evidence of his work for Russian military intelligence. The Office of the Prosecutor General was in charge of the proceedings in this case.
Investigators informed the man that he was suspected of Part 2 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code — treason under martial law. He faces life imprisonment with confiscation of property. Only a court can definitively establish a person’s guilt.
