Foreign spy jailed for 6 years for buying Ukrainian aviation secrets

A citizen of a foreign state entered Ukraine in 2022 and conducted espionage activities, according to law enforcement officials.

"In 2024, he established contact with an engineer at one of the state enterprises and offered him $1 million for technical documentation on one of the country's aircraft," the prosecutors stated.

“The engineer handed him a flash drive with documents marked 'Secret.' They contained information constituting a state secret.”

Ukraine’s SBU Security Service officers detained the suspect immediately after he received the flash drive.

"The defendant was found guilty of collecting technical documentation on one of the country's aircraft with the intent to pass it to representatives of a foreign organization (Part 1 of Article 114 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). He was sentenced to six years' imprisonment," the PGO concluded.

On Oct. 23, the SBU announced the exposure of a Russian military intelligence (GRU) agent network at a defense enterprise in Ukraine's Mykolaiv Oblast.

The security service said the operation led to the detention of two factory workers — a lab technician and a locksmith — who passed the enemy information on the geolocation of workshops, enterprise security, types and availability of defense orders.

The investigation established that the agents operated independently of each other and also reported to their handler on the aftermath of missile and drone attacks on the port and the movement of Ukrainian troops.

SBU investigators charged the detainees under Part 2 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (treason committed under martial law) — they face life imprisonment with property confiscation.