A teenager suspected of working for Moscow finds herself in the sights of the Ukrainian authorities. The Ukrainian security service announced Wednesday that it had detained a 16-year-old girl on suspicion of helping Russia “prepare an airstrike” against its region of Cherniguiv, which borders Russia.
Arrested in the city of Cherniguiv, the capital of this territory, the teenager was recruited by Russian military intelligence (GUR) and had the task of locating air defense and radar complexes defending the region against Russian attacks, said the Ukrainian service.
Since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, kyiv and Moscow have both repeatedly announced they have arrested compatriots accused of spying for the other side. But the arrest of a minor suspect is extremely rare in Ukraine.
According to Ukraine, the teenager “ordered a taxi in which she traveled around the region” to “secretly” photograph information on these sites and obtain their geolocation and transmitted her information to her “superior” within the GUR via “ an anonymous messaging chat.”
“The military counterintelligence service” arrested the young girl “red-handed while she was taking photos of a military installation,” declared the Ukrainian service, specifying that it had seized a cell phone with “evidence of subversive activities in favor of Russia”.
In his smartphone, the Ukrainians found alleged exchanges in which one person asks another in Russian for information about military vehicles. “Take three photos from different angles in daylight. Don’t forget geolocation,” adds another message. The second person responds by promising to complete the task “today.”
The young girl is suspected of “high treason” and risks life in prison with confiscation of property. For months, the authorities have suspected Russian special services of recruiting Ukrainians to “damage” military equipment. Russia wants to “destabilize” Ukrainian society and “undermine the authority” of the state, according to Olena Berejna, spokesperson for the national police.
