Ukrainian SBU (Security Service of Ukraine) agents have uncovered a Russian saboteur network in Odesa and arrested nine men with Ukrainian passports.
“We conducted a multi-stage special operation to defang the network overseen by Russian special services. It worked in eastern and southern regions of Ukraine. According to our information, Russia’s Military Main Intelligence Directorate [Foreign military intelligence agency, known as GRU] was involved,” SBU department chief Oleksandr Tkachuk said during a briefing in Kyiv on March 22.
Tkaschuk said the saboteur group was made up of acting and former Ukrainian military personnel, who received instructions to infiltrate critical infrastructure facilities in southern Ukraine and collect information. They also planned to spy on military facilities.
The group also planned to prepare and conduct diversions against Ukrainian citizens in southern Ukraine.
SBU counterintelligence chief Serhiy Levchenko said a woman was in charge of the saboteurs.
“We documented the arrival of this woman to Crimea, where she was trained at a special GRU facility,” he said, noting members of the group all held pro-Russian views. Levchenko said documents with important information were seized on March 19.
Tkachuk said all members of the group have Ukrainian passports. Four of the nine have been remanded to pretrial custody. The remaining five are confessing to Ukrainian investigators. A criminal case pursuant to Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (state treason) and Article 263 (illegal arms possession) has been opened.
