A suspect in the installation of Russian GPS trackers on fuel tankers was detained in Odesa
In Odesa, the SBU’s military counterintelligence unit detained a man suspected of installing GPS trackers on fuel tankers to plan Russian attacks. According to the investigation, the devices could have been used to track the movement of vehicles.
“As a result of preemptive operations in Odesa, a Russian agent who was installing GPS trackers on fuel tankers was detained. In this way, the enemy hoped to track where they were being refueled and, as a result, determine the coordinates of oil depots in the region,” the statement reads.
The SBU documented that the suspect attached at least two “trackers” with remote access for Russian intelligence officers: one to a military fuel tanker and one to a civilian gasoline tanker.
“Once the coordinates were obtained, the enemy planned to launch massive strikes on the fuel depots. This could have disrupted the logistics of the Defense Forces and destabilized the situation in the region. SBU officers uncovered the Russians’ plan in advance, dismantled the spy devices, and detained the agent,” the SBU reported.
As the investigation revealed, the enemy’s mission was carried out by a 20-year-old former student at one of Odesa’s universities, who was working part-time as a loader at a post office.
“He came to the attention of Russian intelligence officers when, after being expelled for academic failure, he was looking for ‘easy’ money on Telegram channels,” the SBU noted.
After agreeing to cooperate with the enemy, the SBU noted, the suspect initially documented the aftermath of enemy attacks on Odesa; to maintain cover, he constantly changed his mode of transportation, traveling by shuttle bus or on foot.
“Later, he received instructions to identify Ukrainian oil depots so that the aggressor country’s jet-powered drones and missile systems could be targeted at them. To do this, the suspect, following instructions from a handler in Russia, purchased GPS trackers, configured them according to the Russian agent’s recommendations, and installed them on tanker trucks,” the SBU emphasized.
During searches, a smartphone containing evidence of his collaboration with the enemy was seized from the detainee.
Investigators from the Security Service informed him that he is suspected of violating Part 2 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (treason committed under martial law).
The man is being held in custody without the right to bail. He faces life imprisonment with confiscation of property.
Source: SBU
Previously, agents of Russia’s GRU were convicted in Ukraine for directing strikes against Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.
Also, based on evidence provided by the Security Service of Ukraine, a court handed down another guilty verdict to a member of a Russian military intelligence (GRU) agent-combat group. The SBU uncovered and neutralized this cell in the summer of 2024 in the Kharkiv region.
In addition, the SBU detained a Russian agent in the Poltava region who was planning to assassinate the commander of a military unit.
The SBU detained a Russian agent who planted explosives near a government building in downtown Rivne.
Earlier, the SBU’s counterintelligence unit detained a Russian military intelligence agent in the Donetsk region who was guiding guided aerial bombs and strike drones in the Sloviansk direction.
A Russian intelligence agent changed jobs at various enterprises in Dnipro to gather information for adjusting Russian strikes. Eventually, the man secured a position at a defense industry enterprise, where he drew up detailed diagrams of workshops and warehouses.
