The SSU Counterintelligence and the National Police have dismantled a network of russian intelligence agents who were adjusting russian air strikes on eastern, southern and western regions of Ukraine.

As a result of the special operation, five members of the enemy cell who were spying in Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Mykolaiv, as well as in Khmelnytskyi, Kyiv, Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions, were apprehended simultaneously. The youngest of them is 16 years old, and the oldest is 23.

The cell included a student from Zaporizhzhia, his local acquaintance and her cohabitant. Two brothers from Kharkiv region also acted with them.

The members of the network knew each other but acted separately and had one russian handler.

After remote recruitment, the agents were tasked with preparing coordinates for strikes on Ukrainian defense installations.

To do this, the enemy assets reconnoitered around cities, parking cars with video recorders turned on near the potential targets.

Using these devices, they were recording possible presence of our troops and equipment at the location during 8-12 hours.

For secrecy, the agents left their cars and went to the nearest café, which they used as an ‘observation point’ to monitor the situation.

From time to time, the perpetrators returned to their cars to check the dashcam batteries and change the memory card for further recording.

The SSU Counterintelligence uncovered the aggressor’s accomplices at an early stage and documented each of them. After protecting the Defense Forces locations, all members of the network were detained at their homes.

According to the investigation, the russian special services recruited the agents through Telegram, where the individuals were looking for ‘easy money’.

SSU investigators have notified the detainees of suspicion under Article 111.2 of the CCU (high treason, committed under martial law).

The suspects are in custody without the right to bail and face life imprisonment with confiscation of property.

The operation was carried out by the SSU Offices in Khmelnytskyi, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv regions in cooperation with the National Police under the procedural supervision of Khmelnytskyi Region Prosecutor’s Office.