The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said Wednesday it has arrested a foreign military instructor who tried to spy on behalf of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).
The SBU said the accused is a European national without specifying his nationality.
According to the SBU’s press release, the man initially came to Ukraine in early 2024 as an instructor for mobilized personnel due to his “professional skills in fire and tactical training.”
It is unclear whether the man served in the Ukrainian Armed Forces (i.e., enlisted under a military contract) or worked for a private organization in Ukraine.
However, the SBU said the man stopped working after a few months and tried to make extra money by offering his services to Russian intelligence by posting on pro-Kremlin channels.
The SBU said the accussd was approached by an FSB officer to leak intel on training center locations in southern Ukraine, where he worked, as well as personal information about other foreign trainers he was in touch with.
The FSB then reportedly instructed the man to make an improvised explosive device (IED) and collect a hidden cache comprising “a pistol with two loaded magazines” for an unspecified attack.
According to the SBU, the man handed the info to the FSB and collected the cache, but was arrested in his residence in Kyiv before committing the planned attack.
The man is currently charged with leaking military intelligence and faces up to 12 years in prison if convicted.
The SBU said the investigation is ongoing and does not rule out additional charges.