SBU detains suspected FSB agent over plot to kill SOF officer in Odesa
FSB agent exposed in Odesa for planning to assassinate Ukrainian soldier (Photo: SBU)
Ukraine’s SBU said it detained a suspected FSB agent in Odesa accused of plotting an assassination of a Ukrainian special operations officer by placing a GPS tracker on his car, the agency said on Apr. 22.
According to the security service, the agent placed a GPS tracker on a serviceman’s car so Russian operatives could monitor his movements and plan an armed attack.
Investigators said the woman is originally from the Kirovohrad region but had lived in Russia for the previous 15 years. She came to the attention of Russia’s FSB after contacting the Moscow office of Viktor Medvedchuk’s political project “Drugaya Ukraina” seeking help after being accused of theft.
Instead, according to the SBU, she was handed over to Russian security services, which promised to “close the case” in exchange for cooperation.
She was then sent to Odesa, where she rented accommodation near the serviceman’s residence and bought a car to gain covert access to the parking area. She later installed the tracker on the target’s vehicle, which she had received from her handlers, officials said.
The woman was detained immediately after installing the device as she attempted to leave Odesa to flee to Russia via third countries, the SBU said. During a search, officers seized a phone she used to coordinate with an FSB handler under the guise of a “close” relationship.
She has been charged under Part 2 of Article 111 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code (high treason committed under martial law). The case has been sent to court, and she faces life imprisonment with confiscation of property. The investigation into other possible participants in the scheme is ongoing.
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