According to the SBU, those detained are Ukrainian citizens who were recruited by an officer from Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) to gather intelligence for assaults on Ukrainian military positions and critical infrastructure facilities.
“Following a multi-stage special operation, nine Russian agents were simultaneously detained in Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia and Sumy, as well as in the Donetsk, Odesa and Kirovohrad regions. For conspiracy purposes, the suspects acted separately but were ‘attached to’ one FSB officer. His identity has already been established by the Security Service,” the SBU said in a statement.
The detainees include two city council members from the cities of Dnipro and Yuzhne, as well as two managers and a university student who were allegedly tasked with tracking Ukrainian military movements towards the eastern front.
Another suspected FSB collaborator was a former policeman who allegedly informed foreign services about the consequences of a Russian attack on a Ukrainian hydroelectric power plant.
According to the SBU, the detained individuals came to the attention of the FSB following their active participation in various pro-Kremlin Telegram channels.
After being recruited remotely, they communicated with their Russian handler through anonymous chatbots in Telegram.
They are currently in custody and face life imprisonment.
