Ukrainian Security Service Detains UN Aid Worker Accused of Espionage for Russia in Ukraine

On October 28, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) announced the arrest of a 34-year-old local volunteer affiliated with the United Nations World Food Programme in Donetsk region, who was allegedly recruited by Russian intelligence to gather information on Ukrainian defense positions near Pokrovsk.

According to the SBU, the volunteer, operating under the guise of humanitarian aid delivery, was instructed by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) to locate Ukrainian infantry and artillery positions in the area.

Using his humanitarian role as a cover, he traveled through Pokrovsk and surrounding settlements to identify and record the coordinates of defensive installations, relaying this information to his FSB handler through an encrypted messaging app. The individual’s Russian contact, whose identity has since been established, is reportedly a direct employee of the FSB.

Investigators say Russian forces intended to use the information for targeted strikes on Ukrainian positions, leveraging guided aerial bombs and FPV drones for precision attacks.

However, the SBU intervened early in his surveillance activities, neutralizing the threat and implementing additional measures to secure Ukrainian positions in the region.

The SBU has formally charged the suspect with high treason under Article 111, Part 2, of Ukraine’s Criminal Code, which addresses acts of treason committed under martial law. If convicted, he faces a potential life sentence along with the confiscation of his property. The suspect is currently held in custody pending further legal proceedings.