Hunted for Ukrainian drone production technologies: SBU suspects Transnistria resident of collaborating with Russia

Author:
Anastasiia Mohylevets
Date:

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has detained a resident of the unrecognized Transnistrian Moldavian Republic near Odesa. He is suspected of collaborating with Russian military intelligence (known as GRU).

This was reported by the press service of law enforcement agencies.

According to the investigation, the man, on the orders of the enemy, was supposed to steal secret Ukrainian developments in the field of UAVs. SBU stated that he arrived in the Odesa region and was supposed to recruit a military man of the Defense Forces who works with drones.

Having established contact with a Ukrainian soldier, the suspect wanted to obtain technical documents for Ukraineʼs newest strike and reconnaissance drones through him. At all stages of the special operation, the possible agent reported to his supervisor, the so-called Deputy Minister of Defense of the Transnistrian Republic, who cooperates with the GRU.

Law enforcement officials say they exposed the agent from the moment he arrived in Ukraine under the guise of an entrepreneur importing Ukrainian food products. They caught him red-handed when the suspect wanted to obtain a flash drive with secret data in the UAV industry.

According to the case materials, the resident of Transnistria wanted to take him to the territory of the unrecognized republic to establish his own production of combat drones for Russia. During the detention, two pistols were found on the man, which were sent for examination.

The SBU investigators informed the defendant of suspicion of espionage

According to Part 1 of Article 114 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
and illegal handling of weapons
Under Part 1 of Article 263 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
. The man is in custody and faces up to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property.

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