Russian spy disguised as a chaplain tried to get a job at the AFU headquarters

The SBU counterintelligence service has thwarted attempts by Russian military intelligence to "get" its agent into the headquarters of the command of the command of the Airborne Assault Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This was reported by the SBU on 28 March.

As a result of a special operation in Kiev, an associate of the Russian secret service was detained who tried to join Ukrainian paratroopers under the guise of a chaplain. The agent wanted to "enrol" in one of the combat brigades of the SSV to spy on the places of its basing and movement towards the front line," the special service said.

The SBU officers promptly unmasked the mole, identified his Russian handlers and documented their intelligence activity. The figure was detained when he was interviewed at the headquarters of the Command of Ukrainian paratroopers for "enrolment" in the ranks of the AFU.

The detainee turned out to be the chief specialist of one of the departments of the Kyiv regional military administration. The official was remotely recruited by a staff member of the 317th intelligence centre of the main directorate of the general staff of the armed forces of the Russian Federation.

In order to pretend to be a chaplain, the Kyivan made himself a false "certificate" about allegedly belonging to the parishioners of one of the confessions. Before that, the Russian secret service gave him "test" tasks while he was working in the military administration.

The defendant was reported on suspicion under part 2 of article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (high treason committed under martial law) and a measure of restraint - detention.

The investigation is ongoing. The attacker faces life imprisonment.