FSB Says It Detained Three 'Agents of Ukrainian Special Services'; SBU Denies the Claim

The SBU reminded that it works to prevent subversive activity specifically on the territory of Ukraine.

The Federal Security Service of Russia said that it had allegedly detained two SBU agents and another agent of Ukraine's military intelligence, accusing them of “espionage and preparing a terrorist attack.” 

Ukraine's Security Service categorically denied this statement, reminding that its main goal is to counter subversive activity specifically on the territory of Ukraine.

FSB Statement

Russian special services assert that two “agents of the Security Service of Ukraine” have been detained — Koval Zinoviy Zinovyevych, born 1974, and his son Koval Ihor Zinovyevych, born 1999, who allegedly arrived in Russia for the purpose of “collecting information and carrying out photo and video filming of strategically important life-support enterprises and transport infrastructure facilities.”

“Short-barreled and automatic weapons, as well as personal protective equipment” were allegedly found in their car.

According to Russian security officials, the detainees allegedly confessed that they were recruited by an active SBU officer in Ternopil Oblast, Colonel Vasyl Kovalyk, who “assigned them the task of collecting information on strategic facilities” and promised $10,000.

The same day, the FSB allegedly detained another agent — this time from the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Ministry of Defense. He was allegedly “sent to Russia to carry out a terrorist attack.”

Reports say he is a resident of Kyiv Oblast, Oleksandr Tsylyk, born 1998, and that he allegedly gave a confession stating he “acted on the instructions of Lieutenant Colonel Maksym Kyrylovets, an officer of the Special Reserve of the GUR MO.”

It is claimed that he “planned to blow up two homemade devices with 1.5 kg of TNT,” and that he entered Russia “illegally across the border.” The FSB writes that he was detained “while traveling to the scene of the crime.”

SBU Denial

SBU spokesperson Artem Dekhtyarenko, in a comment to UP , called the information from Russian security officials a fake.

Artem Dekhtyarenko

SBU spokesperson

Such statements by the Russian FSB should be viewed exclusively through the prism of hybrid war, in which information propaganda and the spread of fakes play an important role. 

Dekhtyarenko recalls that one of the SBU's main tasks is countering intelligence and subversive activities of foreign special services specifically on the territory of Ukraine.

“And only in the 9 months of this year have we exposed about 50 such agents. Two of them were caught ‘red-handed’ while attempting to carry out sabotage and terrorist acts,” the SBU spokesperson said.

In particular, in November the Security Service of Ukraine carried out an “unprecedented” exposure of FSB staff officers who carried out more than 5,000 cyberattacks on government bodies in our country. 

Artem Dekhtyarenko
SBU spokesperson

FSB officers were identified by name and their conversations were intercepted. Clearly, this is a major reputational loss for the FSB, which once again seeks to discredit the Ukrainian special service with fakes.