The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), in coordination with the Office of the Prosecutor General, has successfully apprehended a former Ukrzaliznytsia employee in Odesa who actively guarded Russian military echelons during the temporary occupation of Kherson. According to the official statement by the SBU, the suspect was a former member of the regional branch’s paramilitary security unit who defected to the occupying forces to secure Russian logistical corridors.
During the occupation of Kherson, the suspect voluntarily joined the localized administrative structure set up by Russian forces. He was integrated into a specialized paramilitary guard division, tasked with protecting cargo trains transporting heavy weaponry, ammunition, and fuel to Russian forward positions. Since military logistics in Russia heavily rely on rail networks, the collaborator’s actions played a direct role in maintaining the occupying forces’ combat readiness and securing their supplies on the southern frontlines.
Following the successful counteroffensive by the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the subsequent liberation of Kherson in late 2022, retreating Russian forces abandoned their local accomplices. Left to fend for himself and fully aware of the legal consequences of high treason, the suspect fled to Odesa. In an attempt to evade justice, he adopted extreme operational security measures. He routinely changed rented apartments, avoided any contact with neighbors or former acquaintances, and only left his premises when absolutely necessary, usually during the night.
Despite his efforts to remain undetected, Ukrainian counterintelligence tracked his movements and pinpointed his location. In late May, SBU operatives detained him in Odesa. The suspect had previously been notified of suspicion in absentia under Part 2 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which covers high treason committed under martial law. Under Ukrainian law, he now faces a potential sentence of life imprisonment with the confiscation of all personal property.
This arrest underscores the relentless efforts of Ukrainian security services to identify and prosecute individuals who collaborated with the occupation forces. Neutralizing such figures not only ensures domestic security but also cripples potential underground networks that the Russian Federation tries to maintain within Ukrainian-controlled territories. The suspect remains in custody as investigators finalize the case for trial.