The Security Service of Ukraine has confirmed a female mercenary, a member of Russia-led forces, whose nom de guerre “Veterok” (“Breeze”), has defected from Russia-occupied Donbas and transferred to Ukrainian-controlled territory, information about the number of the illegal armed formations and their equipment also became available.
“The Security Service of Ukraine confirms the fact that mercenary of Russia-led forces Svitlana Driuk, the chief of staff of a tank battalion… whose nom de guerre is ‘Veterok’ has been brought to the territory controlled by Ukraine,” the SBU said on Facebook on Monday.
According to the SBU, this was the final stage of the SBU’s long counterintelligence operation, “as a result of which a valuable eyewitness of Russian military aggression in Ukraine became available together with important materials regarding the leading role of regular officers of the Russian Federation Armed Forces and the Russian secret services in organizing terrorist activities in Donbas.”
The operation took place in a strict counter-intelligence regime, the SBU said. “The operation was a contest of intelligence and professionalism between the Russian and Ukrainian special services, and the result was another proof of Russian armed aggression,” SBU Chief Vasyl Hrytsak said.
