As a result of a multi-stage special operation, the Security Service of Ukraine neutralized the intelligence network of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GRU), which was correcting shelling of critical infrastructure facilities in Ukraine.
“In particular, two agents of the Russian military intelligence were detained, who were preparing to attack echelons of the Armed Forces, which transport personnel, equipment and ammunition to the front line. According to the case materials, the main suspect was a Russian citizen, the abbot of one of the Kharkiv UOC (MP) churches, who was recruited by the special services of the aggressor country even before the full-scale war. the SBU press service reports in the Telegram channel.
After the invasion of Russia, a staff member of the Russian GRU attacked the priest. His identity has already been established by the Security Service. During the remote contact, the enemy’s special service set the priest the task of gathering information about the movement schedules and routes of the echelons of the Armed Forces in the territory of the Kharkiv region.
To get intelligence, the priest involved an acquaintance of his, an employee of the local branch of “Ukrzaliznytsia”. It is established that the official gave him access to official documents with information about the departure and arrival times, as well as the unloading locations of Defense Forces trains.
The clergyman had to forward the recorded footage to his curator through an anonymous chat in the messenger. For the conspiracy, they used encryption symbols, for example, they started correspondence only after stipulated smileys at a predetermined time. After each communication session, the participants deleted the correspondence.
In the case of receiving a “detailed report”, the occupiers planned to carry out fire damage according to the specified coordinates.
The Security Service of Ukraine exposed the enemy’s accomplices in advance and, thanks to this, foiled the aggressor’s plans. After an operative combination, both persons involved were detained in their own homes.
During the search, mobile phones and SIM cards of various operators with evidence of intelligence and subversive activities were seized from them.
SBU investigators informed the priest and his accomplice of suspicion under part 3 of Art. 114-2 (unauthorized dissemination of information about the sending, movement of weapons, armaments and war supplies to Ukraine, movement, movement or placement of the Armed Forces or other military formations formed in accordance with the laws of Ukraine, committed under martial law) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The sanction of the article is punishable by up to 12 years in prison.
The perpetrators are in custody. The issue of additional qualification of their criminal actions is also being resolved.
