Retired colonel who spied for Wagner Group intelligence sentenced to 15 years in prison – photo

A retired colonel from the city of Zhytomyr (Ukraine's north), who worked for the Wagner Private Military Company's intelligence service, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Source: Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office (PGO); Security Service of Ukraine (SSU); Ukrainska Pravda's source in law enforcement agencies; Sudovyi reporter (Court Reporter), a Ukrainian media outlet with a focus on judicial journalism

Quote from the PGO: "The defendant was sentenced to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property. He was also stripped of his military rank."

Details: Ukrainska Pravda reported that the man in question is Yurii Chernyshov.

Prosecutors have proven in court that the former colonel actively collaborated with the intelligence of the Wagner PMC from September 2022 to February 2023. He had military experience and had previously headed the intelligence headquarters of Ukraine's Rocket Forces and Artillery.

Following the orders of his Russian handler, the convict studied the location of strategically important assets, military units, and the number and movement patterns of Ukrainian Armed Forces military equipment. He kept track of the defence assets near administrative buildings and law enforcement agencies.

Chernyshov plotted the intelligence on a detailed map of Zhytomyr, took photos and sent them to Russian intelligence.

The former colonel also collected the personal data of one of the military units' commanders and passed it on to the Wagnerites. At the same time, he was aware of the gravity of his crime and complained to his handler that he was "risking his freedom" with such cooperation, prosecutors said.

The convict communicated with a representative of what is known as the Wagner PMC via a social network that is banned in Ukraine and the Telegram messenger app. He used the alias Snarov for conspiracy.

The Russian proxy was detained in March 2023.

After the detention, the court remanded the offender in custody with the right to post bail of over UAH 200,000 [roughly US$5,200].

The very next day, the Russian proxy paid the bail and was released from custody. Immediately afterwards, he attempted to flee to Belarus but was detained 300 metres from the border, the SSU said.

Chernyshov pleaded not guilty in court. According to the Court Reporter, he called the criminal proceedings "a provocation by SSU officers".

At the same time, the PGO stressed that the defendant behaved defiantly and used his state of health to delay the case. He made no secret of his pro-Russian ideological beliefs, confirming his disdain for Ukrainians.

The Bohun District Court of Zhytomyr found Yurii Chernyshov, 82, guilty of high treason and sentenced him to 15 years of imprisonment with confiscation of all his property.

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