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Ukraine Says It Dismantled 14‑Person Russian Spy Network Targeting F‑16 and Mirage Bases

The SBU says the arrests severed a social‑media channel that funneled photos and sortie schedules to Russian intelligence and will be prosecuted as high treason.

Overview

  • Ukrainian counterintelligence says it neutralized a 14‑member GRU run network after operations reported by Ukrainian outlets on Thursday that focused on airfields hosting Western F‑16 and Mirage 2000 jets.
  • Investigators say a Lviv Telegram aviation‑channel administrator recruited 13 subscribers to photograph airfields, crews and takeoff times and then uploaded images to an online repository for a Russian handler.
  • The lead agent reportedly obtained helicopter flight schedules from a Ukrainian Air Force squadron commander who gave the information voluntarily, and authorities seized phones and camera equipment during searches.
  • Separately, SBU and SSU units detained multiple FSB‑linked informants who mapped defense sites and marked logistics and workshop locations on Google Maps to help plan strikes on Dnipro and other regions.
  • Prosecutors have served notices of suspicion, blocked the Telegram channels and opened treason cases under martial law that carry life sentences and asset confiscation as investigations continue.