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Ukraine stated Friday it had arrested a military officer accused of passing details about secret army operations to Russia. The SBU safety products and services stated the accused, a lieutenant colonel, was once recruited by way of Russia ahead of its 2022 invasion and “activated” previous this 12 months “to go on plans for the Defence Forces’ struggle operations at the back of enemy strains.”
The officer, a commander of a unit in Ukraine’s particular operations forces, faces existence in jail at the rate of “prime treason”. Since Russia invaded in 2022, each Kyiv and Moscow have arrested a number of voters they accuse of spying for the opposite aspect, together with for allegedly passing on details about army websites or troop actions. However the arrest of a commanding military officer, aware about extremely delicate knowledge on particular struggle operations, is far rarer. “The aggressor was once maximum concerned with intelligence on sabotage and reconnaissance raids by way of Ukrainian particular forces at the back of the entrance line in Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Crimea,” the SBU stated in a commentary. Russia has occupied the southern Ukrainian area of Crimea since 2014, and partially seized the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson area since its 2022 invasion. Russians deliberate to make use of the tips supplied by way of the “mole” to “get rid of Ukrainian particular forces at the entrance line or past it,” the SBU stated. Investigators stated they’d seized “approach of covert conversation” — digital units — from the suspect throughout a seek. The arrest comes amid rising considerations in Ukraine a couple of imaginable renewed Russian offensive at the southern Zaporizhzhia entrance, and as Moscow’s forces proceed to make features within the jap Donetsk area. bur-jc/brw/kjm
