The Russian special services recruited a Ukrainian citizen and tasked him with establishing a pro-Russian party.
The might-have-been political body was set to counteract Kyiv’s European integration, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) reports.
“It was supposed to take part in the elections, front for Russia’s interests, hinder Ukraine’s accession to the EU and NATO and promote the idea of granting the Russian language the status of a state language,” SBU representative Oleh Valendyuk said at a press conference in Kyiv.
The recruited citizen is Tymofiy Nahornyi, a businessman and activist. He was detained by the SBU in early October on suspicion of high treason. He is an ex-husband of the Ukrainian-born gymnast and Olympic champion Lilia Podkopayeva.
“We кусщквув the activities of Russia’s Federal Security Service and the External Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine and the recruitment process by professional officers. We have also got information about the activities of agents of the special services of the Russian Federation and their stay in Ukraine,” top military official Pavlo Yatsyuk said.
According to the SBU, Nahorny, who was recruited in Moscow, has been cooperating with the Russian services since 2013. Apart from him, two Russian citizens were detained; one of them turned out to be an employee of the Russian External Intelligence Service.
belsat.eu following PAP
