Ukraine Arrests Commander Of Special Operations Unit Who Becomes A Russian Spy

Illustration of the Ukrainian SBU special forces. (Wikimedia Commons/Presidentt.gov.ua)

JAKARTA - The Ukrainian SBU security service said on Friday it had detained a special operations force unit commander accused of leaking operational plans behind enemy lines to Russian GRU military intelligence.

"The attackers are very interested in intelligence information regarding sabotage and reconnaissance attacks by Ukrainian special forces behind the front lines in Zaporizhia, Kherson, and Crimea," SBU said through a Telegram messaging app.

According to the statement, "spy" whose rank is equivalent to that of a lieutenant colonel, has access to information about planned routes, weapons and targets.

It said Russian troops planned to use the intelligence information to kill special forces troops on the front lines and in Russian-occupied areas in southern Ukraine.

The Ukrainian SBU said Russian military intelligence "activated" the unit's commander in the spring of this year, but he was recruited prior to a full-scale Moscow invasion in February 2022 through his acquaintances in Russia.

The security agency added that Ukraine's top military leader was assisting the case and suspects could face life imprisonment on charges of treason.