A Ukrainian official with the UN World Food Program has been arrested on charges of spying for Russian forces in eastern Ukraine, reported France Press, referring to a statement by the authorities in Kyiv.
„Under the guise of volunteer service, the traitor spied on the positions of the defense forces in the Pokrovsk sector”, the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) said in a statement.
Since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Kiev has launched several investigations into collaboration and treason - charges that can lead to lengthy prison terms.
„During the searches, the SSU (Ukrainian intelligence) seized the detainee's mobile phone with an anonymous conversation through messages on it, which he used to communicate with an FSS (Russian intelligence) officer,”, the statement added.
The Ukrainian army revealed that the 34-year-old volunteer had been uncovering the positions of Ukrainian forces and their artillery in and around the village of Pokrovsk, which Russia was then able to target with drones and guided aerial bombs.
For months, Moscow has been trying to seize the territory towards Pokrovsk – a logistics hub in eastern Donbas that Ukrainian forces are trying to defend against the larger and better-equipped Russian army.
According to the Ukrainian army, the suspect, who is already in custody, “faces life imprisonment and confiscation of his property”.