In the border areas of Chernihiv region, the SSU Counterintelligence apprehended an activated sleeper agent of russia’s FSB, who had been on standby for over a year.

In October 2023, on the instructions of the russian service, he began collecting intelligence on Ukrainian defenders in the area.

The traitor tried to establish accurate coordinates of the Armed Forces’ command posts involved in the defence of Ukraine’s northern borders.

He was also looking for locations of fortifications and sites with largest concentrations of the AFU’s personnel and military equipment.

The invaders needed the intelligence to carry out artillery strikes on Ukraine’s border and conduct sabotage attacks.

The SSU apprehended the spy when he was fulfilling another enemy assignment near a possible location of a defence facility.

According to the investigation, the suspect is a 20-year-old resident of Novhorod-Siverskyi community, recruited by the FSB in March 2022 during the temporary occupation.

Then, the man received the code name ‘Shut’ [jester] and instructions on how to conduct reconnaissance and sabotage activities for the aggressor state.

After the occupiers fled from Chernihiv region, they left their accomplice in the area and put him on standby.

In October this year, the enemy informant was contacted by his handler, an officer of the FSB border guard unit in Bryansk region, who gave him assignments to collect intelligence.

To carry them out, the agent drove in his car and filmed the sites with possible bases of the Defence Forces with his phone camera.

He transmitted the data to the aggressor using a specially created e-mail account.

For secrecy, he deleted all messages immediately after they were read by his FSB handler.

The russian service promised their asset money for the tasks performed.

During the search at the suspect’s home, the SSU found evidence of the unlawful activity.

SSU investigators have served the individual a notice of suspicion under Article 111.2 of the CCU (high treason committed under martial law).

The court has chosen custody as a measure of restraint. The suspect is facing life imprisonment.

The operation was carried out by the SSU Office in Chernihiv region under the procedural supervision of the regional Prosecutor’s Office.