Woman who spied for Russia's FSB using her child as cover detained in Odesa, Ukraine's Security Service reports – photo

An unemployed 39-year-old woman resident in Odesa Oblast has been detained by the military counterintelligence of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) on suspicion of passing military-related information to the Russians.

Source: SSU; Odesa Oblast Prosecutor's Office

Details: The information obtained during the investigation indicates that the suspect voluntarily cooperated with a representative of the Russian secret services. She was tasked with collecting and transmitting information about the locations of military facilities of any branch or subordination in the city and oblast of Odesa.

The woman agreed to this proposal, with her handler promising assistance in moving to Russia or Belarus and securing employment for her and her family.

Acting on the Russians’ orders, the suspect gathered information on the deployment locations of military units, the border service and the marines, and the locations of recruitment centres. She also found out details of personnel numbers and the availability of military equipment.

To conceal her reconnaissance activities, the woman would go on walks with her six-year-old son, during which she took photos of potential targets and marked their coordinates on Google Maps.

After these walks with her child, the woman would compile intelligence reports and prepare them for transmission to her Russian handler.

She passed on the information using photos, videos and screenshots of maps with exact coordinates. In this way, prosecutors say, she was able to transmit data on at least ten locations.

During a search of the woman’s home, investigators seized a phone and a tablet containing anonymous chats in a messaging app that she used to communicate with the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB).

SSU investigators have served the detainee with a notice of suspicion of treason committed under martial law.

At the prosecutor's request, she has been remanded in custody without bail.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!