This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
Ukrainian authorities said they have uncovered a Russian spy network involving Ukrainian lawmaker Andriy Derkach, who has previously been accused by Washington of being a Russian agent.
The State Security Service (SBU) on June 24 alleged that Derkach set up a network of private security firms to help facilitate the entry of Russian units into cities during Moscow’s February 24 invasion.
Derkach could not immediately be reached for comment, but he has previously denied wrongdoing, claiming he was being targeted for exposing corruption. His whereabouts are unknown.
The SBU cited testimony from Derkach’s parliamentary aide, Ihor Kolykhayev. It said Kolykhayev had been arrested at the beginning of the war, accused of being a go-between between Derkach and Russian military intelligence.
Derkach was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in September 2020 for what it said were attempts to influence the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
The Treasury Department alleged at the time that Derkach — a member of the Ukrainian parliament who studied at the KGB school in Moscow — had been “an active Russian agent for over a decade.”
