British man arrested in Ukraine accused of spying for Russia
A British man has been detained by Ukrainian security services and accused of spying for Russia.
Prosecutors in Kyiv said the unnamed man had been passing information to Russian intelligence while working as a military instructor.
They said the Briton had arrived in Ukraine in January 2024 and had “conducted instructional sessions for military personnel in Mykolaiv”, a city near the front line in the south of the country. He later worked for Ukrainian border units, they added.
The man is being held without bail while a pre-trial investigation is conducted. Ukrainian security services say he could face up to 12 years in prison.
The UK Foreign Office said it was aware of the reports and it was “in close contact with the Ukrainian authorities”.
In a statement, the Ukrainian prosecutor’s office said the British man had stopped working as an instructor in September 2024 and moved to Odesa where he “established contact with a representative of the Russian special service and agreed to provide military information for money”.
It said there was evidence showing the Briton in May 2025 transmitting the location of Ukrainian units, photographs of training areas and information about military personnel that could lead to their identification.
The man is also accused of gathering information about facilities in Odesa, trying to get access to military units and even discussing “the possibility of using explosive devices”. For one of these tasks, the prosecutors say he received $6,000 (£5,148).
In a separate statement, Ukraine’s security service, the SBU, said the man had been “preparing to commit terrorist attacks”.
It said he had “professional skills in fire and tactical training” and had advertised his willingness to spy on “various pro-Kremlin internet groups”.
The SBU said Russian spies had sent the Briton instructions about how to make an improvised explosive device as well as the location of a cache of weapons from which he took a pistol and two loaded magazines.
It added that the man had been detained at his “temporary residence” in Kyiv.
The accused Briton (far left) is being held without bail while under investigation [Kyiv Prosecutor’s Office]
The man appeared in court this week and was detained without bail while a pre-trial investigation was being conducted by the SBU with support from counterintelligence units.
Prosecutors published photos showing him in court with his face blurred to prevent his identification.
