A Russian spy couple was sentenced to 15 years in prison in Odessa

A court in Odessa has found a married couple of Russian spies guilty of gathering information on Ukraine’s defense facilities over a period of several years. Both were sentenced to the maximum penalty for espionage—15 years in prison with confiscation of property.

According to the Odessa Regional Prosecutor’s Office, the convicted individuals are a 47-year-old native of Odessa and his 40-year-old wife, a Russian citizen. The trial has been ongoing since 2023. Throughout this time, they denied their guilt, so the court examined all the evidence gathered during the investigation.

<picture></picture>Photo: Odessa Regional Prosecutor’s Office

According to the investigation, the man had been traveling regularly between Russia and Odessa since 2013. He had previously served in the air defense units of the Russian Armed Forces and participated in combat operations in Chechnya.

In 2018, the man moved to Odessa with his wife and two children. The family obtained permanent residence permits.

After moving, the man began studying the sociopolitical situation in southern Ukraine. He reconnected with old acquaintances and made new contacts among Odessa residents.

To build trust with those around him, he even started a business with an acquaintance.

According to the investigation, his wife actively assisted him. She interacted with people, projected the image of a respectable family, and built trusting relationships with Odessa residents.

She listened attentively to her interlocutors, asked many questions, and likewise helped gather the necessary information.

After the full-scale invasion began, the couple stepped up their intelligence activities. They were interested in the locations of military units in Odessa and the region, the logistics of the Defense Forces, and military rail transport.

The man paid particular attention to a longtime acquaintance who had been mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Upon learning that the soldier’s son was also serving, he asked for help under the pretext of being in a difficult situation.

During these meetings, when the soldier brought groceries to his family, the defendant attempted to obtain information about military service, the locations of units, their structure, and personnel.

He also asked to be informed about the quantity and types of ammunition, their storage locations, warehouse security systems, and the logistics of weapons supply.

In addition, the man expressed the view that shipments of Western military aid should be destroyed with high-precision missile strikes. He referred to casualties among the military as merely “a small price to pay for a higher cause.”

After the attempts to recruit the soldier were uncovered, the couple’s subsequent actions were monitored by law enforcement as part of investigative and operational measures.

The court found both guilty of espionage committed by a group of individuals acting in concert. They were each sentenced to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property—the maximum penalty provided by law for this crime.

Intent reported that in December 2022, Ukrainian special services detained a Russian spy couple in Odesa.

Ірина Глухова