SBU neutralises Russian agent network operating in three regions: law enforcement officer involved

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) neutralized a Russian agent network. It was operating in the Mykolaiv, Dnipro, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions. The operatives were spying on the Defence Forces and critical infrastructure facilities. The SBU announced this on Monday, 19 August.

According to the report, a special operation in Mykolaiv led to the detention of two members of a hostile cell coordinated by two Russian special services. They were members of the FSB and military intelligence (GRU). One of the detainees is a local law enforcement officer. He had been in contact with the head of the Russian agent group. According to the intelligence service, a man was a former official of the disbanded police force, Andriy Shevchenko.

The SBU stated that, under Shevchenko’s instructions, his agent collected data in Mykolaiv. He was interested in the locations and movements of Armed Forces units in the region. He also attempted to identify the locations of strategic defense industry enterprises. Aside from that the agent reported personnel decisions in Ukrainian law enforcement agencies to the occupiers.

To gather intelligence, the traitor exploited his official position and extracted the necessary information from his colleagues under the guise of «friendly conversations.»

The head of the intelligence group also involved his father, a Mykolaiv resident who had previously worked in the disbanded police force, in intelligence activities. According to the SBU, the occupiers used his coordinates to re-attack one of the energy facilities in Prykarpattia. Another task of this agent was to search for potential candidates for recruitment. They were particularly interested in former and current law enforcement officers and military personnel in the Mykolaiv region.

Detention

During the searches, the SBU seized mobile phones, computer equipment, draft records, and documents containing evidence of crimes from the detainees. They also found Russian symbols and rubles.

SBU investigators served the detained agents with a notice of suspicion of high treason committed under martial law. They are currently in custody and face life imprisonment with confiscation of property. The head of the agent group, Andriy Shevchenko, was also served with a notice of suspicion in absentia under the same article of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.