Russian GRU Agent Network Eliminated In Kharkiv
- 28.11.2024, 13:18
Among those detained were two former Berkut fighters.
Specialists from the Security Service of Ukraine neutralized an agent group of the Russian military intelligence (GRU), which had been setting up caches with money and combat grenades on the outskirts of the city of Kharkiv. In this way, three Kharkiv residents were supposed to create a “reserve” for other agents and saboteurs of the Russian Federation for the sake of committing subversive activities in the region.
The traitors turned out to be two former employees of the disbanded special police unit “Berkut” and the wife of one of them. The SSU press service reported on the measures to expose the defendants.
The investigation established that these three came to the attention of the aggressor through a former Berkut officer who fled to the Russian Federation before the start of the full-scale war and began working for the Russians.
Following instructions from Russian military intelligence, three criminals made caches primarily in forest plantations, and then sent coordinates to their Russian curator via messenger. They believed that this would help support enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups in the event of their breakthrough into the regional center.
At the same time, the traitors collected intelligence data on the bases of the Defense Forces. To carry out this enemy task, the Kharkiv spies walked around the city and the surrounding area, where they conducted additional reconnaissance using the coordinates received from the occupiers.
“This was necessary for the Russian Federation to defeat the personnel of the Defense Forces and weapons in Kharkiv, to destabilize the situation in the regional center and weaken its defense,” the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office reported.
The SSU counterintelligence exposed the spy group, documented its crimes, and detained all three of its members in Kharkiv. During the searches, their mobile phones with evidence of cooperation with the Russian GRU were seized.
A cache of RGD-5 combat grenades was also found in the house of one of the Berkut officers. He is additionally charged with the acquisition, carrying and storage of explosive devices and substances without the permission provided by law (Part 1 of Article 263 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
Under the procedural guidance of the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office, all three GRU agents were notified of suspicion of high treason committed under martial law (Part 2 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The perpetrators are currently in custody. For their actions, they face life imprisonment with confiscation of property.