The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained a 26-year-old man previously convicted of murdering a minor, accusing him of working as an agent for Russia’s military intelligence agency (GRU) and preparing new strikes on thermal power plants in the Kyiv region.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Feb. 18, the SBU said the suspect was caught while conducting surveillance near one of the capital’s thermal power stations.
According to investigators, the man was tasked with covertly inspecting the perimeter of an energy facility to assess its technical condition following a previous attack. He was instructed to report in real time, sending photos of key infrastructure and equipment to his Russian handlers.
Officers detained him during the surveillance mission and seized a smartphone allegedly used to document the facility. Authorities said they found an anonymous chat with a GRU supervisor operating through disappearing messages.
The suspect, a resident of the Fastiv district in the Kyiv region, had previously served a prison sentence for the murder of an underage girl. Investigators said he was recruited through a Telegram channel offering “easy money.”
In exchange for payment, he allegedly agreed to help coordinate Russian air strikes aimed at crippling the region’s energy infrastructure and leaving large parts of the Kyiv region without electricity and heating.
The SBU has charged him under Part 2 of Article 111 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code – high treason committed under martial law. Under Ukrainian law, treason carries the harshest penalty during wartime. He is being held in custody without bail and faces a possible life sentence with confiscation of property if convicted.