Ukraine Imprisons Russian Spy Who Betrayed Military Secrets

A Ukrainian-born man who worked as a Russian spy and passed sensitive Ukrainian military information to Moscow is serving a prison sentence in central Ukraine after pleading guilty to high treason. Identified as Alexsander, he said his intelligence work included tracking a Western government official in France before expanding to operations targeting Ukrainian forces following Russia's 2022 invasion.

According to The New York Times, Alexsander supplied Russian handlers with the locations of Ukrainian troops, planned assault operations and personal information about military personnel. He acknowledged that his actions resulted in soldiers' deaths. He remains at Prison Colony No. 122 in central Ukraine, where he was interviewed by the newspaper.

Alexsander initially entered espionage for financial reasons and because of his political sympathies. Born in Ukraine, he said he believed in Russia and struggled to make ends meet while working shifts at McDonald's. Two Russian operatives subsequently recruited him for paid intelligence assignments.

His early work, conducted while he was in France, involved gathering compromising information about a Western government official. The assignments included identifying where the official lived, although much of the work consisted of online searches, according to his account.

Describing his limited attempts at disguising himself, Alexsander recalled using ordinary sunglasses rather than elaborate concealment.

"I had a pair of black sunglasses, but I rarely wore them. Only when the sun was shining," he said wryly.

After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Alexsander shifted his attention to the Ukrainian military. He joined a Facebook group for foreigners seeking to enlist in the Ukrainian Army and built relationships with other members, according to the account published by The New York Times.

During visits to Ukraine, he passed military information to his Russian contacts. The information included troop locations, planned offensive operations and personal details about soldiers. Alexsander acknowledged the deadly consequences of his intelligence activities.

His espionage ended when Ukrainian authorities stopped him at a checkpoint while he was driving through northern Ukraine. A guard asked to inspect his phone, where Alexsander had inadvertently left a message to his Russian handler.

Reflecting on his arrest, Alexsander acknowledged that his operation had failed because he was discovered.

"I am not saying I am a good spy," Alexsander told The New York Times. "I got caught."

His arrest led to criminal proceedings in a Ukrainian court, where he pleaded guilty to the charges against him, including high treason. The newspaper's account did not specify the length of his sentence or provide further details about the court's ruling.