Prepared sabotage on the railway near Kharkiv: Russian agent sentenced to 15 years based on SBU materials
Kyiv • UNN
A Russian agent was sentenced to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property. He was preparing explosions on the railway near Kharkiv on instructions from Russia.
Based on evidence gathered by the counterintelligence officers and investigators of the Security Service of Ukraine, a Russian agent who was exposed in November 2025 while preparing acts of sabotage on the railway near Kharkiv was sentenced to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property. This is reported by the SBU press center, according to UNN.
Details
According to the investigation, the tasks assigned by the Russian Federation were carried out by a local mechanic recruited by the enemy. He came to the attention of Russian intelligence officers after posting anti-Ukrainian comments in chats on Telegram channels.
After being recruited, the traitor received instructions from his handler in the Russian Federation to manufacture homemade bombs based on plastic explosive and equipped with a motion sensor. It was established that the Russians supplied their accomplice with components for the explosives using drones that dropped “packages” at an agreed location in Kharkiv district
The investigators also noted that the suspect conducted additional reconnaissance of the railway tracks and installed remote camera traps nearby in order to identify the most vulnerable sections for an explosion.
Subsequently, the agent placed one explosive device under the tracks and another directly beneath a freight car.
SBU counterintelligence officers exposed and documented the traitor’s crimes in advance and detained him at the stage of preparing the act of sabotage.
During searches at the agent’s residence and in his car, investigators seized a smartphone used to communicate with a Russian intelligence officer, as well as components for homemade explosive devices.
Based on materials provided by the Security Service, the court found the agent guilty under several articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
- Part 2 of Article 111 (high treason committed under martial law);
- Part 2 of Article 113 (sabotage committed under martial law);
- Part 2 of Article 15, Part 2 of Article 113 (completed attempt to commit sabotage under martial law);
- Part 1 of Article 14, Part 2 of Article 113 (preparation to commit sabotage under martial law);
- Part 1 of Article 263 (illegal handling of explosive substances).
As a reminder
SBU counterintelligence detained another Russian informant in Khmelnytskyi region who was adjusting missile and drone strikes on the region.