Russian collaborator accused of spying on Ukrainian positions near Bakhmut sentenced to 15 years in prison

A Russian collaborator who spied on Ukrainian positions near Bakhmut in the spring of 2023 was sentenced to 15 years in prison, the Ukrainian State Security Service (SBU) announced on June 18.

According to At the SBU, the anonymous man provided geolocations of Ukrainian positions to Russian agents, who then used the information to plan operations involving aerial bombsartillery and assault attacks.

The Ukrainian, a resident of Kostyantynivka in Donetsk Oblast, was arrested in May 2023 while actively conducting reconnaissance near a military installation. The man was initially recruited by a member of the Russian intelligence service and promised to be paid.

The man regularly communicated with Russian agents using an anonymous account via a messaging application. Text conversations were regularly deleted by the man to avoid detection, according to the SBU.

The collaborator was convicted under Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – treasonous acts committed under martial law.

The initial investigation was carried out by the SBU in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, under the supervision of the Donetsk regional prosecutor's office.