Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said Tuesday that it arrested a man in annexed Crimea on suspicion of spying on Russian military facilities for Ukraine’s intelligence services.
In a statement, the FSB accused Ukrainian operatives of “increasingly using Telegram and WhatsApp messengers” to recruit Russians for sabotage and intelligence gathering.
The man, identified only by his birth year of 2003, was arrested in the coastal city of Kerch in the annexed Crimean peninsula. He is accused of sharing photos and videos of Russian air defense systems with Ukraine’s military intelligence agency.
Footage released by Russian state media showed uniformed FSB agents arresting the man in his apartment.
In an interrogation video, the man, whose face was blurred, said he had shared Google Maps screenshots of Russian military units and air defense systems with Ukraine in late January 2024.
“Afterward, I was asked to confirm their location with photographic or video evidence,” he said. It was unclear whether he was speaking under duress.
The man was placed in pre-trial detention and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of treason.
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