77 Phone Numbers Used by FSB Mole in Ukrainian Armed Forces Before Arrest
A Ukrainian military contractor working for Russia’s Federal Security Service used 18 different smartphones and cycled through 77 phone numbers to coordinate strikes on the southern front, according to an official report from the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU). Military counterintelligence, operating alongside the State Bureau of Investigation and with the support of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, detained the suspect after he abandoned his unit. The military contractor was exposed as a mole within the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The contractor caught the attention of Russian handlers while searching for quick income on Telegram channels. Once recruited, he sent voice messages detailing military positions where he served, focusing particularly on engineering crossings and fortifications located five to ten kilometers from the combat line. He also marked neighboring Ukrainian units on Google Maps to help adjust artillery and missile strikes across the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia directions. The Security Service of Ukraine and the State Bureau of Investigation exposed the serviceman, who had been recruited by the Russian FSB to adjust enemy strikes against Ukrainian troops.
Eighteen Smartphones and Constant SIM Card Changes
To evade detection, the suspect rotated SIM cards every two days across 18 separate devices, accumulating a total of 77 changed numbers throughout the espionage operation, Korrespondent.net reported. Despite these extensive counterintelligence evasion tactics, SSU operatives tracked his digital footprint while securing vulnerable positions along the southern front. SSU personnel ensured the safety of Defense Forces positions in the south of Ukraine ahead of time before capturing the agent.
Investigators documented that the operative fled his military unit without authorization in an attempt to lie low in Odesa and later in Mykolaiv. SSU teams intercepted and arrested him before he could establish a new operational base, after he arbitrarily left his military unit to go into hiding.
Charges of High Treason and Unauthorized Desertion
Law enforcement authorities formally charged the detained soldier with high treason committed under martial law and unauthorized abandonment of a military unit, Explorer noted. The suspect received notice of suspicion under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine: part two of article 111 for high treason committed under martial law conditions, and part five of article 407 for unauthorized abandonment of a military unit. The suspect is currently held in pretrial detention without the possibility of bail.
If convicted in court, the former contractor faces up to life imprisonment alongside full property confiscation.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Arrest
Where did the arrested agent operate?
The suspect targeted Ukrainian military positions primarily on the southern front, specifically directing Russian strikes across the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia directions.
What specific targets interested Russian handlers most?
According to Censor, Russian intelligence officers focused heavily on the geolocations of engineering river crossings and defensive fortifications situated five to ten kilometers from the active line of contact.
Where was the suspect captured?
Authorities apprehended the deserter after he left his military position and traveled first to Odesa and subsequently to Mykolaiv to hide from investigators, Ukrainian News reported.
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