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Ukrainian Forces Foil Russian Spy Plot to Locate Neptune Missile System
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Ukrainian security services have detained a servicemember suspected of espionage for Russia’s military intelligence, as part of what authorities describe as an ongoing Russian effort to identify and destroy the country’s Neptune coastal defense missile systems.
According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the individual, a 33-year-old mobilized soldier, was apprehended while attempting to transmit intelligence on the location of Neptune missile units in southern Ukraine.
The arrest was carried out by SBU counterintelligence operatives with support from the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and the Naval Command.
The suspect had allegedly been recruited by Russia’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) after leaving pro-Russian comments in chatbots operated by Russia’s Ministry of Defense.
Once in contact with Russian handlers, he was tasked with collecting precise geolocation data of his unit’s positions, which include the deployment sites of the Neptune systems guarding the Black Sea coast.
The SBU reports that the agent was also instructed to assist in adjusting Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian military training centers he previously attended. He was promised advance warning before a planned attack to allow him to evacuate the area.
Ukrainian authorities state that the transmission of this data was prevented. The suspect was detained during the preparation of a new intelligence report intended for Russian forces. A search of his personal belongings revealed a mobile phone containing evidence of communication with the Russian side.
Prosecutors have charged the individual with high treason under martial law, which carries a potential life sentence with confiscation of property. The investigation is being conducted under the procedural guidance of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for the Southern Defense Region.
The RK-360MC Neptune is a Ukrainian-made coastal defense system designed to engage naval targets. Developed by the Luch Design Bureau, the missile is based on the Soviet Kh-35 but features upgraded electronics, propulsion, and range, enabling it to strike targets up to 300 kilometers away.
Neptune gained international attention in April 2022 when it was credited with the successful strike on the Russian cruiser Moskva in the Black Sea.
The sinking of the flagship marked one of the most significant losses for the Russian Navy in decades and elevated the Neptune system to symbolic status within Ukraine’s defense capabilities.
Russia has since intensified efforts to locate and neutralize Neptune units, viewing them as a strategic threat to its naval presence in the Black Sea.
Earlier, Ukrainian forces reportedly struck a Russian drone and ammunition storage facility near Chaltyr in the Rostov region using a Neptune missile, following a drone attack that overwhelmed Russian air defenses, according to a Defense source cited by Ukrainska Pravda.
