Ukraine arrests suspected spy official for Russia

Ukraine's security services have arrested an official from a key anti-corruption unit, on charges of spying on Russia.

Although Ukraine and Russia have arrested dozens of suspected spies during the war Russia launched against Ukraine in 2022, cases of spying within government agencies are rare.

“An employee of the NABU Central Office [The Ukraine National Wall Against Corruption] has been arrested”, the SBU security service said.

“He worked in the most elite unit, D-2, and has been spying on Russian special services”, said in the announcement, where the name of the arrested official was not published.

Earlier, the SBU conducted raids on NABU offices and the office of prosecutors specialising against corruption.

NABU announced that it is developing a <x0 internal resuscitation” and that the <x2 occurs the legal basis of actions taken, including the use of force to an employee”.

The bureau added that it had previously conducted an investigation along with the SBU, which had found no “evidence” to support the charges against it.

There is no evidence that the official in question was involved in anti-state activities”, said NABU.

The SBU, meanwhile, has claimed that the suspect has sent classified information to a former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanuovich's deputy security chief, who fell from power in 2014 and now lives in Russia.

A video published by the SBU shows armed men in camouflage uniforms pushing the suspect out of a car, pushing him to the ground and handcuffing him.

If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.

NABU was created after the pro-European revolution in 2014, as part of reforms aimed at approaching Kiev with Europe at a time when the country was facing separatists backed by Moscow to the east. / REL/ Periscopi/