In a startling security breach, a British military instructor sent to train Ukrainian fighters has been detained on suspicion of acting as a covert agent for Russia. Ukraine's SBU security service alleges the man was involved in a plot to supply firearms for a series of major political assassinations within the country.
Details of the Alleged Sabotage Operation
The suspect, a British citizen believed to be in his early 40s and originally from Scotland, arrived in Ukraine earlier this year. He is described as having previous experience in the British Army, including deployments in the Middle East. According to intelligence sources in Kyiv, his detention was carried out with the assistance of British secret services.
The SBU claims that Russian special services equipped the man with firearms and ammunition with the explicit purpose of carrying out targeted killings. He stands accused of 'reconnaissance and sabotage activities' and of smuggling weapons into Ukraine for use by Russian agents.
High-Profile Assassinations Linked to the Case
Ukrainian intelligence sources, cited by the Ukrainian Pravda outlet, directly link the detained instructor to the supply of firearms used in several shocking murders.
The most prominent victim is former Ukrainian parliament speaker Andriy Parubiy, a key anti-Russian figure. Parubiy was assassinated in Lviv on August 30, 2025, shot dead in broad daylight. He had previously served as secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, and his killing caused widespread shock and condemnation.
The suspect is also alleged to have provided the weapon for the murder of Ukrainian nationalist and former MP Irina Farion, 60. A professor who had infuriated Moscow with her views, Farion was shot in the head in her home city of Lviv in July 2025 and later died in hospital.
A third killing connected to the investigation is that of Demyan Hanul, 31, a Ukrainian nationalist campaigner wanted by Russia. Hanul was gunned down in Odesa in March 2025, shot twice with a short-barrelled gun on a street in the Black Sea port city.
Ongoing Investigation and International Repercussions
An SBU source confirmed that 'the suspect is currently detained and in custody, and the investigation is ongoing.' The security service stated that its counterintelligence arm, working alongside British special services, exposed the individual's activities which are said to have spanned 2024 and 2025.
While the killings were met with horror in Ukraine, they were reportedly celebrated by hardline pro-war factions in Russia. The case raises serious questions about security protocols for foreign volunteers and the relentless covert operations being waged on Ukrainian soil. The suspect is believed to be from Dunfermline and to have also lived in Rosyth in Scotland.
