Russian Man Arrested For High Treason in Crimea
Russian Man Gathered Intel in Crimea For Ukraine
Overt Operator
September 28, 2023
Sevastopol, Russia – The Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia has detained a Russian citizen in Sevastopol on suspicion of high treason, Russian state media reported.
The man, who The Moscow Times called a "draft dodger, had allegedly fled the country in 2022 to a CIS country, where he was recruited by Ukraine's Defense Ministry's Main Directorate of Intelligence to spy on Russia.
The FSB said that the suspect took a job with a company building fortifications in the Republic of Crimea, where he took photos and sent them to Ukrainian military intelligence.
In a video obtained from the FSB, the suspect admits he was recruited by a Ukrainian intelligence agent and that he had sent information from Crimea that could harm Russia. He also confessed that he was aware that the data he collected would be used against Russia, but he had different goals and didn't care.
The suspect is now under arrest and could face a life sentence in prison.
The FSB has not released any further details about the suspect or the circumstances of his arrest. It is also unclear why the suspect was targeted by Ukrainian intelligence.
The incident highlights the increasingly tense relations between Russia and Ukraine, with both countries accusing each other of espionage and other hostile activities.
Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of interfering in its internal affairs, while Russia has accused Ukraine of trying to destabilize the region.
The arrest of the suspect in Sevastopol is likely to further heighten tensions between the two countries.