The SSU prevented a transfer of defence information circulating in one of Ukraine’s regional military and civilian administrations to the enemy.

According to the investigation, the leakage was possible through the electronic document management system. The Kyiv-based IT company, which had installed the software in the government institution, granted access to the databases to its colleagues from the temporarily occupied part of the region.

These ‘colleagues’ turned out to be members of the terrorist organization ‘DNR’, who posed as employees of the company’s Donetsk branch.

Using online access, the offenders planned to organize regular leakage of data from the regional military administration.

The enemy was most interested in information on consequences of russian air strikes on the oblast’s energy infrastructure.

The invaders wanted to know precise coordinates of power substations where repairs have been completed or are still ongoing after the strikes.

This would help the ruscists to plan and carry out repeated air attacks on them.

During the searches of the IT company’s office and the suspects’ homes in Kyiv, the SSU found:

• computers and mobile phones with evidence of subversive activities;
• seals and documents indicating ‘joint business’ with the Donetsk ‘branch’.

Based on the collected evidence, one of the heads of the Kyiv contractor was detained. SSU investigators notified him of suspicion under Article 258-3.1 of the CCU - facilitating activities of a terrorist organization.

The criminal actions of his five accomplices from the temporarily occupied Donetsk have also been qualified under this Article. The efforts to bring them to justice are underway.

The suspects are facing up to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property.

The SSU conducted the operation under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor General’s Office.