Ukraine has apprehended a Ukrainian man suspected of providing Moscow with sensitive military information in a dating chat, announces the Ukrainian security service SBU.
The man, described as a Russia-friendly resident from the million-city Kharkiv, is said to have been recruited by Russian agents via a dating forum on the messaging service Telegram.
"SBU seized the man's phone, which was used by the suspect to communicate with his Russian 'friend' and take pictures of military installations," writes the security service in a statement.
According to SBU, the Kremlin planned to use the information to launch targeted attacks on Kharkiv. The Kharkiv region, where the city is located, has been subject to many attacks since Russia launched an offensive there in May.
An SBU officer caught the man in the act as he was taking pictures of military vehicles with Ukrainian soldiers, it further states in the statement. The man now faces eight years in prison.
Ukrainian prosecutors have initiated thousands of criminal cases related to collaboration with Moscow since Russia's large-scale invasion in 2022.
