Employees of Ukraine’s SBU Security Service’s counterintelligence service has exposed repeated recruitment by representatives of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) and security services of Russia-backed separatists of close relatives of Ukrainian military personnel. The SBU has said at least three wives of officers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were targets for recruitment.
According to the SBU’s press service, SBU agents said the wives of three officers were recruited during their stay with their parents in Russia and the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
The women were subjected to psychological pressure. They were threatened with a ban on entry and exit, prison and harassment of their parents. As a result, they gave written consent to confidential cooperation with Russian security services.
“Russian security forces and their puppet-controlled units also tried to get information from women about military ranks, positions, location and the official duties of their husbands, as well as information about military units where they serve and their involvement in combined forces,” the SBU said.
The SBU military counterintelligence operatives warned Ukrainian citizens forced to agree to cooperate with the enemy’s special services.
After returning to the territory controlled by the Ukrainian authorities, the women cooperated with the investigation and gave testimony regarding the circumstances of their recruitment and the assignments received.
The penalty for committing crimes under Part 1 of Article 111 (high treason) and Article 258-3 (creation of a terrorist group or a terrorist organization) under Ukraine’s Criminal Code provides for imprisonment for up to 15 years.
At the same time, in accordance with provisions of Part 2 of Article 111 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code, Ukrainian citizens are exempt from criminal responsibility if they refuse to cooperate with a foreign state and report such incidents to state authorities.
Part 2 of Article 258-3 provides for the exemption from criminal liability of a person who voluntarily reports relevant terrorist activity or information contributing to its termination or to the disclosure of crimes committed in connection with the creation or activity of such terrorist groups or organizations.
