Ukraine detains two Chinese nationals for attempted espionage
Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) detained two Chinese nationals in Kyiv on charges of espionage. According to reports from the SBU and Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office shared on July 9, the two individuals were reportedly attempting to transfer confidential documents related to Ukraine's RK-360MC "Neptune" missile system to Chinese security agencies.
The investigation reveals that one of the suspects is a 24-year-old former student from a Kyiv technical university. "He remained in Kyiv after being expelled in 2023 for academic failure," stated the SBU on their Telegram channel. "The other involved individual is the former student's father, who predominantly resided in China but occasionally visited Ukraine to personally oversee his son's espionage activities."
Authorities have disclosed that the former student tried to recruit a Ukrainian citizen linked to the development of cutting-edge Defense Forces weapons to gain access to the classified materials. The young man was apprehended early in his espionage attempts while receiving sensitive documents, the Ukrainian security service noted.
The father reportedly entered Ukraine on July 7 and visited the Chinese embassy in Kyiv the next day. "The prosecution plans to serve him with a notice of suspicion for espionage and request the court for his remand," reports the Office of Ukraine's Prosecutor General on their website.
The SBU's press service reminds that the "Neptune" missile system is designed to target all types of combat and landing ships. It notably played a pivotal role in the destruction of the Russian Black Sea Fleet's flagship cruiser "Moskva."