SBU caught a GRU agent in a cassock who was preparing strikes on the Kharkiv region.

The SBU detained a priest of the UOC (MP), who was an agent of the Russian GRU and was preparing a strike on the trains of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kharkiv region. This was reported by the SBU press service.

The Security Service prevented a series of air strikes by Russia on Ukrzaliznytsia facilities in the Kharkiv region. As a result of the special operation, the agent network of the main directorate of the general staff of the armed forces of Russia (known as the GRU), which corrected the shelling of the Rashists on the critical infrastructure facilities of Ukraine, was neutralized.

"In particular, two agents of Russian military intelligence were detained, who were preparing to shell trains of the Armed Forces of Ukraine carrying personnel, equipment, and ammunition to the front line. According to the materials of the case, the main defendant was a citizen of Russia, the rector of one of the Kharkiv churches of the UOC (MP), recruited by the special service of the aggressor country even before the full-scale war", the statement said.

According to the SBU, after the invasion of Russia, a regular employee of the Russian match contacted him. His identity has already been established by the Security Service.

The cleric received instructions from a regular employee of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia (GRU), whose identity has already been established. The priest had to collect information about the schedules and routes of the AFU trains in the Kharkiv region. To obtain intelligence, he involved his acquaintance, an employee of the local branch of Ukrzaliznytsia.

It was established that the official gave the cleric access to service documents with information on the Time of departure and arrival, as well as the places of unloading the Defense Forces trains.

"The footage taken by the priest had to be sent to his handler through an anonymous chat in the messenger. For conspiracy, they used encryption symbols, for example, starting correspondence only after prearranged emojis at a predetermined time. After each communication session, the defendants deleted the correspondence. Upon receipt", the occupiers planned to carry out fire damage at the specified coordinates", the SBU said.

The Security Service prematurely exposed the enemy accomplices and thus foiled the aggressor's plans. After the operational combination, both defendants were detained in their premises.

At the same time, during the search, mobile phones and SIM cards of various operators with evidence of reconnaissance and sabotage activities were seized.

SBU investigators informed the cleric and his accomplice of the suspicion under Part 3 Article 114-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (unauthorized dissemination of information about the direction, movement of weapons, armaments and ammunition to Ukraine, movement, displacement, or placement of the Armed Forces of Ukraine or other military formations formed in accordance with the laws of Ukraine, committed under martial law).

The article's sanction provides for punishment of up to 12 years in prison.

Currently, the perpetrators are under arrest. The issue of additional qualification of their criminal actions is also being decided.

The special operation was conducted under the procedural guidance of the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office and with the assistance of the management of the regional branch "Southern Railway" of JSC "Ukrzaliznytsia".

We remind you that the Armed Forces of Ukraine attacked power substations in the Kursk region of Russia.