A sailor from the Mykolaiv region passed information about his unit's commanders to enemy intelligence

In Mykolaiv, a man who had served in the Ukrainian Armed Forces on a contract basis for more than five years was sentenced for treason. He had established contact with a representative of the Russian intelligence services and passed on information about the military unit where he was stationed. 

This was reported by Intent,citingthe verdict of the Novobuzhsky District Court.  

As established by the court, the defendant had been serving on a contract basis since 2019 and held the rank of senior rifleman in the security platoon of one of the military units. According to the investigation, in the spring of 2024, he established contact with a representative of the Russian Federation.

In May 2024, he was tasked with providing information about himself, his place of service, and his commanders, as well as reporting whether there were any soldiers in the unit whose relatives lived in Russia.

In his report, the man described his background in detail: he stated that he was born in Ochakiv, attended the local School No. 4, then graduated from Mykolaiv Higher Vocational School No. 21, worked at an ATB supermarket, and subsequently signed a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2019. He also mentioned that he met a Russian citizen online, who later became his wife. Separately, he spoke about his parents, their jobs, and his family circumstances.

In addition to his autobiography, he mentioned in his correspondence the commander of his military unit and his two deputies, noting that he did not know their home addresses.

A few days later, the interlocutor asked him to provide more details about his service: what exactly he did, which facilities he guarded, and how the unit’s defense was organized. He did not have time to complete this task, as he was exposed by SBU officers.

During the trial, the man did not admit guilt. He explained that he had met his future wife back in 2019. The man claimed that his wife, through her acquaintances, had contacted a man who was supposedly supposed to help him transfer to rear-area service, but that man began asking questions about military service and defense facilities. This aroused his suspicion, so he refused to communicate further. According to him, it was his wife who continued the correspondence, and he did not disclose any classified information.

The man was found guilty of treason and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Additionally, simply “liking” posts on a social media platform banned in Ukraine led to a conviction for a retiree from the Mykolaiv region. For years, the man had shared content that justified Russian aggression and denied the occupation of Ukrainian territories. 

Анна Бальчінос