Spies from China tried to smuggle secret developments of Ukrainian missile system

The SBU detained two Chinese citizens in Kyiv who were trying to smuggle out classified data on a missile system. The offenders were exposed during the transfer of documentation and face up to 15 years in prison.

This was reported by the SBU Communication Department.

In Kyiv, SBU counterintelligence detained two Chinese citizens who tried to smuggle classified materials about the Ukrainian Neptune missile system to China. This is the same weapon that was used by Ukrainian forces to sink the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the cruiser Moskva.

Among the detainees are a 24-year-old former technical university student who was expelled in 2023 and his father, who permanently resides in China but came to Ukraine to coordinate his son's espionage activities.

According to the investigation, the young man tried to obtain technical documentation on the production of Neptunes, in particular by recruiting a Ukrainian specialist involved in defense research.

The SBU detained the spy while he was receiving classified materials, and later detained his father, who was to pass the information to the Chinese intelligence services. Mobile devices with evidence of espionage activities were seized from the suspects. Both were notified of suspicion under the article on espionage. They face up to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property.

In Mykolaiv region, a court sentenced two men to 15 years in prison for passing the coordinates of Ukrainian military locations to the enemy. They were recruited through pro-Russian telegram channels, after which they sent the data to Russian representatives via encrypted communication channels. The SBU documented the collection and transmission of information used by the occupiers to prepare missile attacks.

In Odesa, a representative of a private company was detained who tried to bribe an employee of a defense enterprise to gain access to classified technical documentation on aviation developments. He was detained while handing over the bribe. Investigators are checking for possible links with foreign intelligence services.

Also, according to the prosecutor's office, since the beginning of 2025, 15 indictments have been filed in court against 19 residents of the Kherson region who collaborated with the occupiers by passing information to adjust the fire and deployment of the Armed Forces. Four defendants have already been convicted.

Анна Бальчінос