SBU exposes more attempts by enemy special forces to co-opt Ukrainian citizens
Ukraine's SBU State Security Service has said it exposed another attempt by Russian special services and their puppets in the temporarily occupied territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of the citizens of Ukraine to engage in criminal activities in favor of the enemy.
"Employees of military counterintelligence found that in October 2018, during their stay in personal affairs in the territory of the aggressor country, two Kharkiv residents were detained by traffic police officers and transferred to Russian intelligence service (Federal Intelligence Service - FSB) representatives. Employees of the enemy special services tried to obtain from the Ukrainians confirmation of their mythical relations with the SBU. Not having received the necessary "confessions," FSB representatives forced our fellow citizens to agree to confidential cooperation. The Russian intelligence operatives said they would receive further instructions from Russia by phone. The men immediately contacted Ukrainian law enforcement agencies and gave evidence about the circumstances of their recruitment by Russian special services," the SBU's press service said.
The SBU said such cases are not uncommon and are also recorded in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. In particular, in the Luhansk region, SBU agents have warned Ukrainians could be co-opted to participate in criminal activities in favor of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR).
“SBU agents learned that in October 2018 a resident of Lysychansk was recruited by the so-called military intelligence operatives of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic from one of the correctional institutions of the region. By resorting to psychological pressure methods, the militants forced him to cooperate. Upon arriving in Ukrainian-controlled territory of Luhansk region, the man first was to collect and pass on information to terrorists about the deployment and movements of the Ukrainian military units and law-enforcement agencies," the SBU said, adding that Ukraine's special services interceded.
"Now he is testifying about the circumstances of his recruitment and the tasks set," the SBU said.
