Security Service of Ukraine Detains Serviceman Accused of Spying on Ukrainian Neptune Missile Systems

Ukraine’s Security Service (SSU) has detained a serviceman accused of passing sensitive military information to Russian intelligence as part of an effort to target Ukraine’s Neptune anti-ship missile systems.

According to the SSU press service, the arrest was carried out by military counterintelligence with support from the commander of the Ukrainian Navy.

The 33-year-old soldier, allegedly recruited by Russia’s military intelligence agency (GRU), was collecting classified information about units responsible for the operation and protection of Neptune systems deployed in southern Ukraine to defend Black Sea coastal waters.

The suspect was reportedly preparing to transmit geolocation data of these units to facilitate a coordinated Russian attack using kamikaze drones and cruise missiles. The SSU reports that it prevented the operation before any data was transferred.

The individual was detained while preparing an intelligence report for the Russian side. Investigators seized a mobile phone allegedly containing evidence of espionage activity.

Authorities also discovered that the suspect had been tasked with helping coordinate strikes on Ukrainian military training centers, where he had previously received instruction.

Investigators note that the serviceman came to the attention of Russian intelligence after posting pro-Russian comments in chatbots associated with Russia’s Ministry of Defense.

This case follows an earlier counterintelligence operation in which the SSU disrupted a Russian Federal Security Service (FSS) agent network targeting Ukrainian combat aircraft.

In that operation, two individuals were detained near a military airfield while photographing Ukrainian F-16 fighter jets. The agents had reportedly installed video surveillance equipment and were submitting photo and text reports to their FSS handler about aircraft and other military hardware.