Ukraine Arrests Fathers Of Chinese Citizens Spying On Neptune's Anti-ship Missile Program

PIXABAY'S ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - Ukrainian authorities have arrested a father and son of a Chinese citizen who is suspected of spying on Neptune's anti-ship missile program.

The program is an important part of Kyiv's fast-growing domestic weapons industry and is crucial for its defense against Russian colonialists.

The announcement by the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) follows Kyiv's remarks in recent months, Beijing is helping the Kremlin's war efforts.

Counterintelligence officials arrested a 24-year-old former student in Kyiv after they gave him "technical documentation" regarding Neptune's production.

They later detained his father, who intends to smuggle the documents into the special Chinese service, said SBU.

The father previously lived in China, but visited Ukraine to "personally coordinate" with his son's work.

A Ukrainian official told Reuters the two men were the first Chinese to be arrested for espionage since Moscow's massive invasion in 2022.

The Chinese Embassy in Kyiv did not respond to requests for comment and lawyers for the two men could not be found immediately.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused China of supplying weapons anderas to Russia. Ukraine has also sanctioned Chinese companies Kyiv believes are helping Moscow's war engines, including by providing components for drones.

He also said Ukrainian forces had arrested Chinese nationals fighting for Russia on the battlefield.

Although Beijing is a Moscow ally, Beijing aims to present itself as a peaceful carrier in the war and says it does not arm both sides.

In May, Chinese President Xi Jinping made a lively visit to Moscow, including talks with President Vladimir Putin.

Ukrainian Neptune missiles were used to destroy the aircraft carrier of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in the first months of war. Since then, the missile has also been fired at other targets, including the Russian oil terminal.

Kyiv memperkuat sektor pertahanan domestiknya di tengah sinyal beragam mengenai dukungan di masa depan dari AS, pendukung militer utamanya, dan di tengah upaya Eropa untuk meningkatkan produksinya sendiri.