British man arrested in Ukraine on suspicion of spying for Russia
The British man is alleged of being recruited by Russia’s secret security and providing sensitive information to Russia regarding military personnel in return for money
A British man has been arrested in Kyiv on suspicion of spying for Russia.
Ross David Cutmore, 40, from Dunfermline is alleged to have been recruited by Russia’s FSB security service and have been paid by Russian authorities for giving them intel. He is suspected to have passed on the sensitive information to Russia for money, according to PA.
Cutmore transmitted “the coordinates of Ukrainian units, photographs of the training area, and information regarding military personnel that could be used to identify them” according to Ukranian officials.
A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “We are providing consular assistance to a British man who is detained in Ukraine. We remain in close contact with the Ukrainian authorities.”
Cutmore arrived in Ukraine in January 2024 according to officials. He entered the country to train recruits in the southern of Mykolaiv.
In a statement carried by multiple media outlets, the Kyiv prosecutor’s office said: “In addition, analysis of his correspondence confirmed that he had carried out other tasks for the benefit of the Russian special services.”
According to The Guardian, Cutmore is the main suspect in the investigation and there is evidence he was paid $6,000 for providing confidential information regarding the location of Ukrainian military units around the city.
He faces up to 12 years’ imprisonment and confiscation of property, Ukrainian officials confirmed. It is believed that Cutmore put adverts out for his spying services in various pro-Russian social media groups.
“Initially, he conducted instructional sessions for military personnel in Mykolaiv, and later worked in one of the border units,” the prosecutor’s office said in a separate statement issued in October.
“At the end of September 2024, after ceasing his activities as an instructor, he moved to Odesa, where he established contact with a representative of the Russian special service and agreed to provide military information for money.”
The Brit was arrested outside his residence in Kyiv in October. Speaking to the Daily Telegraph outside his home in Dunfermline, Cutmore’s father, Ross John Cutmore, said he was “lost for words”.
“It came as a shock to me,” he told the newspaper on Tuesday. “I’m just lost for words. I’m just a normal person. I go to work. Just living my life – normal family.”
Cutmore was also allegedly sent intrsustions on how to make an explosive device, according to Ukrainian media. His name has also been presented by the media in question to the death ok Ukrainian activists and an MP who were all murdered by assassins.
Thousands of people have enlisted in Ukraine’s armed forces since Russia’s full invasion in 2022. The Kyiv prosecutor’s office has been approached for comment but have not yet responded.
