Ukraine's Security Service detains two foreigners in Odesa recruited by Russia's FSB

The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has detained two assets belonging to Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), planning a missile attack on the headquarters of Ukraine's Defence Forces in Odesa Oblast.

Source: SSU

Quote: "The SSU foiled a new attempt by the Ruscists to launch an attack on the deployment sites of the Defence Forces in Odesa Oblast. The aggressor's main targets included the headquarters of the command of Ukraine's Armed Forces on the Southern front.

The FSB engaged two of its assets, citizens of one of the South Caucasus states who lived in Odesa, to carry out the task.

By orders of the Russian secret service, these individuals were reconnoitring the locations of Ukrainian troops in order to record their coordinates on Google Maps.

After establishing the geolocations of the necessary targets, the assets were gathering as much information as possible about the personnel, military equipment, and operational details.

Details: By doing so, they sought to identify the command posts and combat units of Ukraine's Armed Forces in order to report to the FSB.

The Russian proxies walked the streets of Odesa to gather intelligence and covertly recorded potential targets.

At the same time, they covertly used their connections with local residents to obtain information about the Ukrainian military.

The defendants also set up a public organisation in the city, which operated under the guise of providing assistance in legalising foreign nationals in Ukraine. In reality, the NGO tried to recruit foreigners into its own network of informants.

Having acquired the intelligence data, the Russians planned to launch a series of targeted missile and drone strikes on military infrastructure and combat positions of Ukraine's Armed Forces.

After completing the task, the proxies hoped to join the FSB.

The suspects were detained while conducting additional reconnaissance near one of the facilities. A phone was seized from the offenders, which they used only to communicate with the FSB.

SSU investigators served both men with a notice of suspicion under Article 114-2.3 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (unauthorised dissemination of information about the location of the Armed Forces of Ukraine committed under martial law).

They have been remanded in custody. The offenders face up to 12 years in prison.

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