Ukraine arrests 12 suspected Russian spies hunting for F-16 bases across five regions
Ukrainian deserters turned Russian agents used forged volunteer credentials to gather intelligence on air defense positions while searching for potential F-16 bases, revealing Moscow's urgent hunt for Western aircraft.
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) reports it has uncovered 12 Russian agents spying on armed forces across five regions and attempting to locate F-16 fighter jets.
“As a result of the special operation, 12 Russian agents and their informants were exposed. Some of them are deserters who abandoned their units in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and were recruited by Russian intelligence while evading justice,” the Ukrainian security agency stated.
The Russian spies operated independently but reported to a handler based in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, who used forged documents such as “volunteer IDs” and “anti-corruption activist certificates” as cover.
The handler recruited accomplices from Kharkiv, Odesa, Sumy, Mykolaiv, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.
“In these regions, the agents gathered intelligence on Ukrainian air defense positions and attempted to identify locations of secret military airfields where, according to Russian assumptions, F-16 fighter jets could be based,” the SBU added.
The agents were also tasked with identifying companies involved in producing electronic warfare systems used against Russian drones.
To gather intelligence, the suspects relied on acquaintances, including Ukrainian military personnel. After obtaining the necessary information, they conducted further reconnaissance near potential targets and reported their findings to their handler, who forwarded the data to Russian supervisors.
The SBU has charged the detainees under two articles of the Criminal Code:
- High treason committed during martial law
- Unauthorized dissemination of information about the movement, location, or deployment of Ukrainian forces.
The suspects face 8 years to life imprisonment with property confiscation.
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