Ukrainian soldier seeking romance on Telegram allegedly recruited by Russia to assassinate brigade commander

According to the SBU, the suspect came to the attention of Russian intelligence while looking for romantic relationships in Telegram dating channels.

The mobilized soldier, who served as a driver in an Air Assault Forces brigade, allegedly used his position to gather information about the whereabouts of senior officers. Investigators say he was instructed to provide the exact coordinates of the brigade headquarters, where its commander, a colonel, was expected to be, so Russian forces could launch a missile strike.

The SBU said its military counterintelligence officers, working with Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) and with assistance from the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, took measures to protect the brigade's locations before detaining the suspect at his military unit in the southern city of Mykolaiv.

At the time of his arrest, the soldier was allegedly preparing to transmit the headquarters' coordinates to his FSB handler.

Investigators seized a smartphone containing what the SBU described as reports to the Russian intelligence officer about preparations for the assassination.

The suspect also allegedly passed information about Ukrainian strike drone storage and launch sites used for attacks against Russian military positions behind the front lines.

After his recruitment, the soldier communicated with his alleged FSB handler through an anonymous Telegram chat, according to investigators. The SBU did not specify how the initial contact in the dating channels developed into recruitment.

The soldier has been charged with high treason committed under martial law. He is being held without bail and faces life imprisonment and confiscation of property if convicted.