According to reports from Russian news agencies on Wednesday, a Ukrainian individual has been sentenced to eleven-and-a-half years in prison by a court in southern Russia for his involvement in espionage. The convict was found guilty of attempting to acquire classified missile components on behalf of Ukraine.
The individual, identified as 57-year-old Sergei Krivitsky, was purportedly working as an agent for Ukrainian military intelligence, as per statements from Russia's FSB security service. However, it was not disclosed whether Krivitsky admitted to the charges or maintained his innocence.
The FSB alleged that Krivitsky had endeavored to procure clandestine components intended for Russia's S-300 surface-to-air missile system to smuggle them into Ukraine.
Hailing from Melitopol, a Ukrainian city occupied by Russian forces in early 2022 under what Moscow describes as a special military operation, Krivitsky's actions were purportedly linked to ongoing tensions between Ukraine and Russia. While Moscow asserts that Melitopol now falls under Russian jurisdiction, this assertion is rejected by both Kyiv and Western nations.
The year 2023 witnessed a surge in espionage-related cases in Russia, with 31 instances of espionage and 98 cases of treason reported. This marked the highest number of such cases since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
