Ukrainian detained for allegedly installing CCTV cameras to aid Russian attacks

Ukraine’s security service (SBU) has detained a local citizen suspected of setting up surveillance cameras near critical infrastructure facilities, allegedly allowing Russian intelligence to monitor these sites.

The suspect, a resident of the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, was reportedly recruited by Russia’s military intelligence service (GRU) through the social messaging app Telegram, with promises of "easy" money, the SBU said in a statement on Monday.

Ukrainian law enforcement arrested the alleged Russian spy in Kyiv, where he had rented several apartments in high-rise buildings overlooking local energy facilities.

According to the SBU, the suspect used these apartments to install video cameras with remote access software, allegedly allowing the Russians to monitor critical infrastructure in real time.

Russia likely used the footage to assess the impact of its recent airstrikes in the Kyiv region and to identify the locations of Ukrainian anti-aircraft defense systems.

After setting up these "observation posts" in Kyiv, the suspect returned to Kharkiv under the guise of visiting his parents, but in reality, to set fire to a relay cabinet on a strategic railway line, the SBU said.

The security services said they documented his every move and eventually detained him in one of the rented apartments in Kyiv. At the time of his arrest, the suspect was setting up a new closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera to record an airstrike on the city.

During searches, law enforcement seized his phones and video camera, which contained evidence of "intelligence and subversive activities" for Russia.

The suspect is currently in custody. He faces life imprisonment with confiscation of property, the SBU said.

Popular spying tool

Surveillance cameras have been widely used by both Russia and Ukraine for espionage. They are often installed near critical infrastructure or deployed to identify the location of troops, air defense systems, or military equipment.

In August, Russian authorities warned residents in regions at risk of Ukrainian offensives to stop using surveillance cameras, fearing they could be exploited for intelligence gathering.

According to a statement from Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD), Ukrainian forces are remotely connecting to unprotected CCTV cameras, "viewing everything from private yards to roads and highways of strategic importance."

In January, Ukrainian security officers said they took down two online surveillance cameras that were allegedly hacked by Russia to spy on air defense forces and critical infrastructure in Kyiv.

The cameras were installed on residential buildings in Kyiv and were initially used by residents to monitor the surrounding area and parking lot. After hacking them, Russian intelligence services supposedly gained remote access to the cameras, changed their viewing angles, and connected them to YouTube to stream sensitive footage.

This footage likely helped Russians direct drones and missiles toward Kyiv during a large-scale missile strike against Ukraine.