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Ukrainian Intelligence Colonel Sentenced to Life for Treasonous FSB Spying

A high-ranking SBU official has been handed a life sentence for betraying his country to Russian handlers.

Foreign PolicyPublished June 26, 2026 at 10:38 AM
Ukrainian SBU chief Vasyl Malyuk (right) stands with his hand behind an arrested man's head, apparently holding him by the hood of his jacket. Malyuk is  dressed in military-style fatigues and the other man is wearing a zipped-up brown jacket.

Justice has been served in Kyiv, where the Shevchenkivskyy District Court sentenced Col. Dmytro Kozyura to life in prison for high treason. Kozyura, who once served as chief of staff for the Security Service of Ukraine's (SBU) anti-terrorism center, abused his position of trust to funnel classified state secrets to the Russian FSB.

The investigation, codenamed 'rat,' revealed that the career officer was recruited by Russian handlers in Vienna back in 2018. By December 2024, he was actively feeding the enemy critical data regarding Ukrainian military deployments, infrastructure, and the movements of political and military leadership.

Prosecutors detailed how Kozyura systematically reported on the aftermath of Russian strikes, providing the enemy with casualty counts and intelligence on SBU command posts. He operated from a clandestine safehouse in Kyiv, utilizing dedicated communication equipment to maintain contact with his FSB handler, identified as Yuriy Shatalov.

While the SBU successfully utilized Kozyura to feed disinformation to Russian forces during the final stages of his surveillance, his betrayal of his oath and his country remains a stark reminder of the internal threats nations face during wartime.

Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko was clear in his assessment: anyone who wears the uniform of their nation only to serve the interests of a hostile foreign power is an enemy, and they deserve the harshest penalty the law allows.

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foreign-policyukrainerussiaespionagenational-security

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