A GRU Agent Embedded in Ukraine's Military Was Preparing Strikes on Poltava Fuel Stations, SBU Says

GRU Agent Arrested Within Ukraine's Ranks

According to Рубрика — Суспільство: Ukraine's SBU security service, working with the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, has uncovered a Russian military intelligence agent serving in the country's army. The serviceman, who had been mobilized and assigned to a technical support platoon at a local military unit, was gathering information for Russian intelligence to help plan missile and drone attacks on Poltava Oblast. His main targets were petrol stations, and he also passed along data on where military units were located. The case highlights ongoing counterintelligence operations in wartime Ukraine.

The agent first attracted GRU attention because of anti-Ukrainian comments in Telegram chats. During his regular day leave, he walked around the area taking photos of gas stations and sending their geolocations to the enemy. He also provided Russian intelligence with the location of his own military unit.

Detention and Legal Consequences

The SBU detained the suspect at his duty station. A search turned up his mobile phone containing evidence of contacts with Russian representatives. SBU investigators served him a suspicion notice under Part 2 of Article 111 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code - high treason committed under martial law. If convicted, he faces life imprisonment with confiscation of property.

This is not an isolated incident. On 22 July 2026, a man was detained in Mykolaiv on suspicion of plotting a terrorist attack against a Ukrainian soldier, and on 17 July of the same year, a deputy of the Alchevsk City Council was arrested in Kyiv after switching to the Russian side following the city's occupation. The SBU continues to work actively to expose Russian agents trying to harm Ukraine.

The exposure of a Russian agent inside the Ukrainian military underscores the persistent national security threat during wartime. It also shows how Russian intelligence attempts to use internal resources to gather information that could be used to strike Ukrainian infrastructure.

For its part, the SBU keeps working to detect and neutralize such threats, which is critical to protecting the country's security overall.