Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on October 22 that it had detained a resident of Russian-occupied Sevastopol on suspicion of treason. According to the agency, the man passed information about the locations of Russian Black Sea Fleet units and military equipment to a Ukrainian intelligence service.
The detainee is a Russian citizen born in 1969. His name was not disclosed in the official statement.
The FSB alleges that the man contacted a representative of a Ukrainian intelligence service through WhatsApp on his own initiative and offered to provide information in exchange for payment.
According to the Russian agency, the contact initially asked about the general situation in Sevastopol and local residents' attitudes toward the war. He later allegedly asked the man to gather information on the locations of Russian military facilities.
The FSB claims that the detainee passed along information about the deployment of military equipment and Black Sea Fleet units. The allegations specifically concerned vessels on the northern side of Sevastopol.
The Russian security agency also claims that the man communicated with a representative of the counterintelligence department of Ukraine's Security Service (SBU).
A criminal case was opened under Article 275 of Russia's Criminal Code, which covers treason. A court ordered the man held in pretrial detention.
Under Russian law, treason is punishable by up to life imprisonment.
The information released by the FSB represents the Russian security agency's account of the case. No independent evidence of the alleged cooperation with Ukrainian intelligence services has been made public. The defense's position is also unknown.
Sevastopol is located on Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014. The overwhelming majority of the international community does not recognize Russian sovereignty over the peninsula.
Russian authorities apply Russia's criminal legislation in occupied Crimea, including provisions concerning treason.
The detainee's guilt has not been established by a court.