The Ukrainian Air Force major is only the latest officer to be accused of spying for Russia—which has made major efforts to undermine Kyiv through bribery and ideological recruitment.
A Ukrainian Air Force officer was arrested for allegedly sharing the location of Kyiv’s F-16 Fighting Falcon and Mirage 2000 fighter jets to Russia. The unidentified officer is reported to be a flight instructor who holds the rank of major. He is accused of sharing coordinates and even “suggesting strike tactics” against the facilities, the Security Service of Ukraine said in a statement on Wednesday morning, according to Reuters.
“In particular, the enemy’s priority targets were airfields where F-16s, Mirage 2000s, and Su-24s were based,” the SBU explained. The statement added that the agent had “collected the coordinates of the location of these aircraft, schedules and … the order of their departure.”
Kyiv has kept a tight lid on where it has based its Western-supplied aircraft, as well as its older Sukhoi Su-24 (NATO reporting name “Fencer”) all-weather tactical bombers. The F-16 and Mirage 2000 have proven vital in Ukraine’s efforts to counter Russian air strikes on the more than three-and-a-half-year-long conflict.
The Ukrainian officer was recruited through his ex-wife, who is reported to be a collaborator with the Russian occupying forces in Melitopol. According to the SBU, she had previously served in the Ukrainian military as well.
The military officer was charged under Part 2 of Article 28 and Part 2 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, “high treason committed by a group of individuals under martial law,” Ukrinform.net reported. His ex-wife was charged in absentia with treason. Both face potential life sentences with confiscation of property.
Ukraine Is Crawling with Russian Spies
The Ukrainian Air Force major is only the latest officer to be accused of spying for Russia, which has made major efforts to undermine the Ukrainian war effort through bribery and ideological recruitment. Earlier in July, the SBU announced that it had detained a reserve lieutenant colonel who was passing secrets to the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB). The unnamed individual has been accused of collecting intelligence related to Ukrainian troop deployments and movements, notably in the Sumy region, where the Kremlin’s forces carried out offensive operations earlier this year.
The SBU also recently detained two Chinese nationals who were accused of spying on the Ukrainian “Neptune” anti-ship missile program. That weapon system had famously been employed in the sinking of the Moskva, Russian Navy’s Black Sea flagship, in April 2022—an early humiliation for the Kremlin and a major morale boost for Kyiv. Neptune missiles have also been used to strike Russian oil terminals along the Russian Black Sea coast.
The arrest of the Chinese men came just a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky imposed sanctions on five Chinese companies for aiding Russia’s war effort.
Beijing has officially remained neutral in the ongoing conflict, while it has continued to purchase Russian oil and gas. Moreover, China has provided Russia with sophisticated semiconductors, which are used in the production of the Kremlin’s advanced weapons systems. Some Chinese weapons have also made their way to Russia, though the sourcing remains unclear.
In April, Ukraine claimed to have captured two Chinese volunteers serving in the Russian Army. Beijing has denied it sanctioned their service in the conflict.
The men said they volunteered and took up arms for Russia based on the financial incentives. CNN reported that one of the men was paid upwards of $3,000 per month, “double what he could expect to earn at home.”
Money may have been the motivator for the Ukrainian military officer as well, though the SBU has not publicly speculated on his motives. Financial incentives are one of the four primary motivations for committing espionage—often summarized as “Money, Ideology, Compromise, Ego” (MICE). It is possible that ideology or ego—a belief in the Russian cause, or a sense of personal importance—may have also played a role.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Shutterstock / Mike Mareen.
