Ukrainian soldier who survived Russian captivity exposes collaborator behind ambush on his unit
Ukrainian law enforcement officers have detained an assistant forester at a state-run forest management agency in Izium, part of the state company Forests of Ukraine, who collaborated with Russian forces during the occupation and continued working at the agency after the city was liberated.
Source: State Bureau of Investigation; Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor's Office; Office of the Prosecutor General
Details: Investigators have determined that the man willingly collaborated with Russian forces after they took control of Izium, providing information on the locations of Ukrainian military units.
In April 2022, following instructions from his Russian handlers, the suspect helped organise an ambush targeting soldiers of a Ukrainian territorial defence brigade.
To do this, he earned the Ukrainian defenders' trust by offering them a house in the village of Spivakivka as a temporary shelter and place where they could rest. He also promised to help personnel secure accommodation on agency-managed land, presenting himself as a forest management officer and claiming he knew the area well.
Once he had gained their trust, the traitor relayed the soldiers' positions to the Russians and played a direct role in preparing and executing an ambush on a military vehicle.
On 17 April 2022, a vehicle carrying personnel was ambushed by Russian forces near the village of Spivakivka. Some Ukrainian soldiers were killed, two were injured and taken captive, and the others were forced to retreat. The suspect was with the Russian troops at the time.
After Izium was liberated, the suspect stayed in the city and continued working at the agency, convinced that his collaboration with the Russians had gone unnoticed.
During the investigation, a Ukrainian soldier who was later freed from Russian captivity identified the suspect from photographs. He said that after the ambush the Russians had seized his military equipment, and he later recognised his own helmet and body armour on the suspect, along with gear belonging to one of his brothers-in-arms.
In the course of the pre-trial investigation, law enforcement officers gathered evidence of the suspect's criminal activity in stages, established his whereabouts, and detained him in January 2026. The authorities are also looking into reports that he may have continued cooperating with the Russians after the city was liberated.
The detainee has been served with a notice of suspicion for treason committed under martial law (Article 111.2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The suspect has been remanded in custody.
If convicted, he could face a sentence of up to life imprisonment.
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