The FBI shot and killed a former Maxar employee who may have been passing classified information to the Russians
In October 2024, FBI agents shot and killed Ilya Beloozero, a former Maxar Technologies employee, in the U.S. state of Mississippi. For nearly two years, U.S. authorities did not disclose the reasons for using deadly force against him.
As CNN reporters discovered, Beloozero was suspected of attempting to pass on confidential information to people he believed to be Ukrainians. At the same time, U.S. intelligence agencies suspected that these individuals might actually have been Russian operatives posing as Ukrainians.
According to CNN’s investigation, Beloozero was shot and killed on October 4, 2024, at a truck stop in Mississippi. A group of FBI agents surrounded the man near a hotel and opened fire on him. According to eyewitnesses, Beloozero was hit by at least five bullets.
Beloozero was born in the Soviet Union, but in 1987 his family moved to the United States because of his father’s anti-Soviet views. According to his relatives, he was an opponent of the Russian regime and supported Ukraine after the start of the full-scale war.
His ex-wife, Marina, said that her husband considered his heritage as the son of a Soviet dissident to be an important part of his identity. He also supported opponents of Vladimir Putin and sympathized with Ukraine.
According to Beloozero’s son, his father helped the Ukrainian military, specifically by sending them money, flashlights, and tactical gear. In return, the Ukrainian military gave him an empty tank shell and recorded a video thanking him.
He worked for a company that provided satellite imagery to Ukraine
Beloozeroff worked in IT and, in late 2022, joined Maxar Technologies, which was later renamed Vantor. The company provided Ukraine with satellite imagery that helped track the movements of Russian troops, the locations of military facilities, and the aftermath of strikes.
CNN reporters reported this on Monday, August 10.
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