The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has announced the detention of a 16-year-old girl from the city of Kropyvnytskyi, suspected of collecting information for the Russian secret services.
According to the SBU statement, the young girl was detained while allegedly trying to install a GPS tracking device within the perimeter of a city power plant. The investigation claims that the device was intended to transmit coordinates that could have been used in an attack on the energy infrastructure.
The Ukrainian authorities’ version
The SBU asserts that the teenager was recruited through a Telegram channel promising “quick earnings”. According to investigators, she was initially given trial tasks, such as filming infrastructure targets and transmitting the images to contacts that Ukrainian authorities claim are affiliated with the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).
Subsequently, investigators claim, the girl received instructions for installing the GPS device, as well as money to purchase it. These statements come exclusively from the official communication of the SBU.
Legal situation
The teenager has been charged with treason, an offense committed during martial law, according to Ukrainian legislation. Authorities specify that the punishment provided by law can reach life imprisonment, but the case is still under investigation, and any guilt is to be determined by the court.
No public information has been released about the defense’s position or the family’s reaction, and the authorities have not provided additional details that would allow the identification of the person.
Context
Ukrainian authorities periodically warn of Russia’s attempts to recruit Ukrainian citizens, including minors, for espionage or sabotage activities, especially through social networks and messaging platforms.
The case in Kropyvnytskyi adds to a series of similar investigations announced by the SBU since the beginning of the war.