The SSU Cyber Department has neutralized russian agents, who were working on the launch of a mobile information sabotage center in the south of Ukraine.

Its main task was massive dissemination of kremlin’s propaganda in the region through specially created Telegram channels, online television and radio apps.

Primarily, these resources were to be used to justify russia’s aggression and spread disinformation on the situation at the front.

The enemy project was supposed to operate under the guise of the so-called Tavria media center and cover the audience of Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts and the temporarily occupied Crimea.

Further, the enemy planned to expand the center’s activity and also cover Kirovohrad oblast.

According to the investigation, the organizers of the center are two residents of Kyiv, who came to the attention of russian special services due to their open support of aggression against Ukraine.

When the invasion began, one of the agents in question gave his russian handler information on the deployment of Ukrainian Defence Forces in Kyiv. To pass intelligence, he used secure electronic communication channels.

Subsequently, the informant was given another assignment - to develop a plan to create a pro-kremlin media center for destabilizing the domestic political situation in Ukraine.

He involved his accomplice in this process, who came up with the concept and algorithm for implementing the Tavria project.

According to his plot, the main ‘office’ and hardware of the media center were to be located in the temporarily occupied territories of Crimea or Kherson. There, russian propagandists and Internet agitators planned to create and spin destructive content in favor of the aggressor state.

The next step would be creating a network of cells in other regions to commit information sabotage.

During the searches of the suspects’ homes, the SSU found computer equipment and mobile phones with evidence of unlawful activity.

Currently, one of the agents has been notified of suspicion of crimes under the Articles of the CCU:

• 111-1.6 (collaboration);
• 111.2 (treason under martial law).

The indictment against him has been sent to court.

The other agent has been notified of suspicion of collaboration. Court is to decide on the type of detention.

The investigation is ongoing to bring to justice other persons involved in the crimes against Ukraine’s state security.

The SSU Cyber Department and the SSU Office in the Crimea carried out the investigation under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor’s Office.