UK says in contact with Ukraine after Brit arrested for spying
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to the media after a 'Coalition of the Willing' meeting in London, on Oct 24, 2025. (Photo: Pool via Reuters/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
KYIV: Britain on Thursday (Oct 30) said it was in contact with Ukraine after the arrest of a British ex-army instructor that Kyiv accused of spying for Russia.
Ukraine accused the man, arrested at his home in Kyiv earlier this week, of passing information to Moscow about other foreign military advisors in Ukraine and the coordinates of army training centres.
The Ukrainian prosecutor general's office said the man was a British national who arrived in Ukraine in 2024, had conducted military training for the army and worked in the border guard before he agreed to collaborate with Moscow.
Britain's foreign ministry told AFP on Thursday that it was "aware of reports that a British national has been detained in Ukraine".
"We remain in close contact with the Ukrainian authorities," the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said in response to AFP's query about the case.
The Russian FSB security services gave the individual instructions on making explosive devices and also provided him with a handgun and ammunition, Ukraine's state security service (SBU) said, while the prosecutor general said he "attempted to establish access to the command of military units" in exchange for US$6,000.
He faces up to 12 years in prison.
Both Moscow and Kyiv routinely announce the arrest of individuals they claim are aiding the war efforts of the opposing side, though arrests of foreign nationals are rare.
