On the Instructions of Another Handler, the Agent Purchased a Can of Black Spray Paint to Create Provocative Graffiti on Buildings in Lviv

Ukrainian counterintelligence officers have detained a Russian agent in Lviv who was gathering intelligence to help coordinate Russian strikes on railway facilities, government buildings and military institutions, the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) reported. The suspect, an unemployed man from the Dnipropetrovsk region, was recruited by Russian intelligence services and worked for two handlers simultaneously, according to the SSU. On the instructions of one handler, the agent was tasked with collecting intelligence to prepare strikes on railway infrastructure and administrative buildings of government and military institutions in the Lviv and Kharkiv regions.

To carry out his assignments, he traveled to Lviv, photographed the exterior perimeters of potential targets with his phone, marked their locations on Google Maps and sent reports to his Russian handler. On the instructions of another handler, the agent purchased a can of black spray paint to create provocative graffiti on buildings in Lviv. The graffiti was to include a reference to a specially created chatbot that Russian intelligence services use to recruit people by promising them "easy" money.

SSU officers detained the agent when he was once again attempting to photograph the facilities. During searches, they seized his mobile phone, which contained evidence of intelligence gathering and contacts with the enemy. The agent has been charged under Part 2 of Article 111 of Ukraine's Criminal Code — high treason committed under martial law. He is being held in custody and faces life imprisonment with confiscation of property.