Operation ‘Fishing Trip’

‘Goga’ contacted Ukrainian military intelligence via the ‘I want to live!’ project in 2023. The sailor agreed to work together with Ukrainian intelligence and disable the Serpukhov, on which he was posted.

He also provided HUR with secret information regarding Russia’s Baltic Fleet, as well as the Russian military industry.

According to Yusov, the operation resulted in “a large amount of important information” useful to the Ukrainian security services and armed forces being obtained as well as “the modern small missile vessel Serpukhov, which was put on combat duty in 2015, [being] disabled for at least six months.”

“The enemy does not fully understand what we received, what we learned about,” he said, adding that Serpukhov was capable of carrying Kalibr and Onyx missiles, which the Russians have also used in strikes on Ukrainian territory.

“This is our first operation in the Baltic Fleet. For the enemy, it was a shock and a big surprise. After this operation, there were reshuffles, investigations, and punishments in the Baltic Fleet. It is clear that some heads rolled,” Yusov said.

Yusov credited the operation to the Freedom of Russia Legion, a Kyiv-supported military group opposed to Putin and made up of Russian dissidents and deserters, and of which ‘Goga’ became a member. The HUR representative said that this is yet another successful action by the Legion and that it demonstrates that Russians are ready to fight against Putin’s regime.

‘Goga’ was safely extricated from Russia and transported to Ukraine in a separate operation. According to Yusov, the sailor is ready to continue fighting against Putin’s regime as part of the Freedom of Russia Legion alongside Ukrainians.

‘Goga’

The former Russian sailor, who was also present at the press conference, said that he had served in the Russian Navy’s Baltic Fleet for 11 years.

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he was reportedly the only member of Serpukhov’s crew who spoke out forcefully against the war.

“I tried to resign. I said that I could not serve in the military. The commander was shocked when he heard this,” said ‘Goga’.

“The commander immediately sent me for a psychological examination. He thought that I was not normal if I spoke out against the Russian authorities,” he said.

According to ‘Goga,’ after being evaluated by a psychologist and a psychiatrist, a report on him was handed to the fleet’s command and the prosecutor’s office in order to decide what to do with him. In the end, an administrative case was opened against him by the prosecutor’s office.

But in the end, he did not get as much as a slap on the wrist.

“The prosecutor read the report on my dismissal, said that I could not do that, and that this was the first and last warning. And he let me go. No sanctions were applied to me. I continued to serve on my ship.”

‘Goga’ subsequently said he tried to resign from the navy through a court but was not released; ultimately, to the detriment of Russia’s Baltic Fleet and the benefit of Ukraine.