The SSU Counterintelligence had foiled new attempts of russian military intelligence to collect information on Zaporizhzhia defence. An enemy informant who was spying on the AFU has been detained.

The traitor is a local IT specialist who worked for a serviceman of the main directorate of the general staff of the russian armed forces (‘the GRU’).

On his orders, the man set up an observation post in his home to covertly monitor locations of Ukraine’s Defence Forces.

To do this, he purchased and installed tactical binoculars with a high magnification, a rangefinder grid and a compass in his apartment in a high-rise building.

Using the specialized optics, the spy hoped to identify positions of Ukrainian air defence and artillery, e.g. HIMARS.

He was trying to establish locations of AFU fortifications and track routes of military convoys.

The collected data were passed to his russian handler via an anonymous chat in a messenger app.

Using the informant’s coordinates, the russians planned to carry out new missile and drone strikes on the frontline territory of the region.

The SSU uncovered the perpetrator at an early stage and detained him in his home. Prior to that, action was taken to protect Ukrainian units.

During the searches of the suspect’s home, the SSU seized optics and a mobile phone used in the crime.

SSU investigators served him a notice of suspicion under Article 114-2.2 of the CCU (unauthorized dissemination of information on transfer, movement or location of the AFU, if it is possible to identify them on the ground, with the purpose of providing such information to a state that carries out armed aggression against Ukraine).

The suspect is in custody and faces up to 8 years in prison.

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