A British former army instructor has been arrested in Kyiv and accused of spying for Russia while posing as an adviser to the Ukrainian military. Ukraine's prosecutor general's office alleges the man passed information to Moscow about foreign military advisers and the coordinates of army training centres. He arrived in Ukraine in 2024, conducted military training, and worked in the border guard before agreeing to collaborate with the Russian FSB, according to the SBU.
The SBU claims the FSB gave the man instructions on making explosive devices, a handgun, and ammunition. The prosecutor general stated he attempted to gain access to military unit commands in exchange for $6,000. He faces up to 12 years in prison if convicted. The UK Foreign Office confirmed it is aware of the detention and remains in close contact with Ukrainian authorities.
Separately, Russia launched an overnight attack on the northeastern city of Sumy, injuring 11 people, including four children, and damaging residential buildings, private houses, and infrastructure. The local governor reported that the railway depot was hit, destroying several carriages. In Russia, the city of Oryol restricted heat and hot water supplies after Ukrainian drones struck a pipeline at a power plant.
Ukraine's foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, confirmed that Russia has used the 9M729 cruise missile in combat, firing it 23 times since August. This missile's secret development led to the US abandoning a nuclear arms control pact in 2019. Japanese utilities JERA and Tohoku Electric Power said they can secure alternative LNG supplies if flows from Russia's Sakhalin-2 project are interrupted, amid US pressure to end energy imports from Russia.
An investigation by independent outlet Verstka revealed that Russian commanders are executing or deliberately sending soldiers who refuse to fight to their deaths. Testimonies describe 'execution shooters' opening fire on refusers and dumping bodies in rivers or shallow graves, with some commanders using drones and explosives to finish off wounded or retreating soldiers.
Russia also launched a barrage of drones and missiles at Ukraine's energy infrastructure, killing seven people, including a seven-year-old girl, and forcing nationwide power restrictions. Two energy facilities in the Lviv region were damaged, and DTEK's thermal power stations were attacked. The government imposed electricity limits on retail and industrial consumers, with water supplies and heating disrupted in some regions.
