“We essentially lived alongside him to document how he was transmitting data to the Russians,” Malyuk stated in a communication with POLITICO. “He is now facing charges of high treason.”

If convicted, the individual—who has served as the head of the SBU’s anti-terrorism center since 2016—could be sentenced to life imprisonment.

According to the SBU, he was recruited by the FSB in 2018. Initially, he operated as a dormant agent until December 2024, when the Russians re-established contact with him while he was already under surveillance, as noted by the SBU in a recent announcement on Wednesday.

The SBU revealed that his handlers included former Ukrainian officials who were involved in repressing the pro-Western Euromaidan protests of 2013-2014 and subsequently fled to Moscow.

“We are committed to purging our ranks, and this effort will persist,” Malyuk remarked, adding that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was kept informed about the counter-surveillance operation.