The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has uncovered and arrested a high-ranking Ukrainian officer allegedly working as a Russian mole, the SBU reported via its Telegram channel on Nov. 15.
According to the report, the officer, the commander of a unit in Special Operations Forces, had been transmitting critical military intelligence to Russian troops.
The leaked information included sensitive details about sabotage and reconnaissance missions conducted by Ukrainian special forces in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts and Russian-occupied Crimea.
Russian forces were reportedly using this intelligence to target Ukrainian Defense Forces stationed at the front lines and in occupied areas of southern Ukraine.
The officer, whose identity was not revealed, has been arrested and is currently in custody.
He faces charges of treason and espionage, which carry severe penalties, including life imprisonment and asset forfeiture upon conviction.
The suspect was recruited by the Russian military intelligence agency (GRU) before Russia’s full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, and started receiving tasks in the spring of 2024, according to the SBU.
Asami Terajima
The command of Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces confirmed the detention of the commander and said they had been aware of the investigative actions regarding this serviceman and “fully facilitated their implementation.”
“While special forces operators perform combat missions behind enemy lines in temporarily occupied territories, unfortunately, there are those who try to interfere from the inside,” the command added.
“Special forces continue to fulfill tasks, destroy the enemy, and liberate Ukrainian land from the occupiers. And all those who think that they can interfere with this and put the lives of our soldiers in danger will be exposed and sent behind bars.”
This is not the first time the SBU has uncovered Russian infiltration within Ukrainian ranks.
On Aug. 14, it uncovered a Russian intelligence cell that included two former members of ex-President Viktor Yanukovych’s security detail and an active member of Ukraine’s National Guard.
Similarly, on Aug. 27, it arrested another individual in Kharkiv who was passing information to Russian forces about the city’s air defense systems and the positions of Ukrainian troops and fortifications.
Francis Farrell