The SBU said that as a result of a special operation coordinated personally by the agency’s first deputy head, Oleksandr Poklad, the GRU agent-combat group was neutralized and more than 10 of its members were detained. The hitman, who resisted arrest with a weapon, was killed.
During searches, law enforcement seized firearms, ammunition, voice recorders, computer equipment and surveillance cameras containing evidence of cooperation with Russian intelligence.
Investigators have notified the detainees of suspicion under several articles of Ukraine’s Criminal Code, including:
— treason committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy under martial law;
— collaboration activities committed by a group by prior conspiracy;
— unauthorized dissemination of information on the movement or deployment of Ukraine’s armed forces or other military formations under martial law;
— preparation of a terrorist act by a group by prior conspiracy;
— illegal handling of weapons, ammunition or explosives.
All suspects are being held in custody without bail. They face life imprisonment with confiscation of property.
On March 24, the Security Service also reported the detention in Rivne region of a GRU agent who was collecting and passing coordinates of Ukrainian military facilities to help guide Russian strikes.
On March 19, the SBU said it had exposed a servicemember of the Unmanned Systems Forces who was simultaneously working for Russian and Belarusian intelligence services and had attempted to flee to Russia.