An FSB agent in Bukovina had his 15-year sentence commuted to life imprisonment
In Bukovina, the Court of Appeals increased the sentences of an FSB agent and his accomplice, whom the SBU had exposed in Chernivtsi in October 2024. The main defendant was sentenced to life in prison with confiscation of property instead of 15 years, while his accomplice’s sentence was increased from 10 to 12 years.
In Bukovina, an FSB agent received a life sentence, and his accomplice’s sentence was increased to 12 years. The Court of Appeals handed down this ruling based on evidence provided by the Security Service of Ukraine and the prosecutor’s office.
The SBU exposed the men in Chernivtsi in October 2024. Initially, the trial court sentenced the main defendant to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property, and his accomplice to 10 years in prison. After the case was reviewed on appeal, the sentences for both were increased. The FSB agent was sentenced to life imprisonment with confiscation of property, while his accomplice received a 12-year prison term.
How the FSB Agent Operated
According to the investigation, the Russian intelligence agency’s mission was carried out by a recruited man who had previously been an activist in a local branch of the Communist Party, which is banned in Ukraine. He worked on two fronts simultaneously. The first involved gathering intelligence on the movement of Ukrainian trains; the second involved spreading Russian propaganda.
The agent monitored the routes and schedules of Ukrzaliznytsia trains. To do this, he traveled through various parts of the region, stopped near railroad tracks and stations, and filmed the trains’ movements on his phone. He sent the collected materials to his handler in Russia via a messaging app. To obtain more information, he recruited another local resident to assist him. According to the investigation, he was promised help in avoiding conscription into military service.
Spread Russian disinformation
His work for the FSB was not limited to monitoring the railroad. The traitor also spread Russian narratives among the public. In particular, he circulated disinformation about the Ukrainian Defense Forces and urged those subject to military conscription to evade mobilization.
According to the case file, the man came to the attention of Russian intelligence as early as 2015. After the full-scale invasion began, an FSB officer contacted him via Telegram and recruited him to work on behalf of Russia.
Charges Against the Defendants
The court found the agent guilty under Part 2 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—treason committed under martial law. His accomplice was found guilty under Part 3 of Article 114-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—unauthorized disclosure of information regarding the movement, deployment, or location of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Thus, the appellate court reviewed the previous sentences and increased them for both defendants. The investigation was conducted by SBU officers in the Chernivtsi region. The Chernivtsi Regional Prosecutor’s Office oversaw the proceedings.
As a reminder, law enforcement officials in the Odesa region exposed the organizer of an illegal scheme to smuggle conscripts abroad. According to police, 147 men were being smuggled out of the country under the guise of sailors.
The Security Service of Ukraine and the National Police have uncovered nine new schemes to evade mobilization in various regions of the country. As part of these special operations, 23 organizers of these schemes were detained; they had been helping conscripts, for a fee, to avoid conscription or to leave the country illegally.
