According to the SBU, Russian intelligence recruited the suspect in February 2025 and tasked him with locating and relaying coordinates of Ukrainian Defense Forces’ operational airfields.
He was also instructed to monitor the takeoff and landing schedules of Ukrainian military aircraft to identify times when airfields would be most vulnerable to strikes.
To carry out the mission, the man allegedly set up an observation post on the roof of his private home, using binoculars to spy on military flight activity.
Following a series of counterintelligence measures to secure military sites, the SBU detained the suspect at his residence.
Investigators say the man was recruited through the messaging app Telegram, where an FSB operative promised him “quick money” in exchange for espionage—a reward he ultimately never received.
The man has been formally charged with high treason under martial law, per Part 2 of Article 111 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code. He is currently in custody without the possibility of bail and faces life imprisonment with property confiscation if convicted.