Drones hit university and philharmonic - SBU captures Russian strikes spotter
Photo: Russian strikes spotter was caught by the SBU (facebook.com SecurSerUkraine)
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has arrested an FSB agent responsible for directing Russian Shahed drones during a large-scale airstrike on the city of Kropyvnytskyi in the Kirovohrad region on July 28. The attack hit multiple civilian targets in the city center, the SBU reports.
The agent was detained in the Kirovohrad region. According to investigators, he provided coordinates that enabled one of the largest Russian drone attacks since the start of the full-scale invasion. Civilian infrastructure was hit, including:
- the regional philharmonic hall,
- a local university,
- several residential buildings in the central part of the city.
The enemy carried out the strike using Shahed kamikaze drones, guided precisely to the targets by the agent.
The suspect is a 47-year-old unemployed local resident who came to the attention of Russian intelligence through his pro-Kremlin activity in Telegram channels.
After being recruited by an FSB handler, he was tasked with collecting precise geolocations for Russian drone strikes in Kropyvnytskyi.
Following the July 28 attack, the man sent a detailed report to his handler about the aftermath, helping the FSB adjust their tactics for future strikes.
In addition to targeting civilian objects, the traitor also monitored the movement of Ukrainian military freight trains in the region, providing that data to Russian forces.
Caught in the act
SBU cyber experts caught the man red-handed as he was setting up a "video trap" near a railway facility. His phone was seized at the scene, containing proof of his communication with FSB operatives.
The suspect is currently in custody and faces life imprisonment with confiscation of property.
Russian attack on Kropyvnytskyi
The attack occurred overnight on July 28, with at least nine explosions reported in Kropyvnytskyi, the Kirovohrad region.
The first blast occurred at 03:07 a.m. local time, shortly after Ukraine's Air Force issued an alert about high-speed aerial targets moving toward the city.
Head of the Kirovohrad Regional Military Administration Andriy Raikovych urged residents to remain in shelters throughout the night. Authorities emphasized the importance of strictly following air raid safety protocols.
That same night, Russia launched one of the largest combined air attacks on Ukraine to date, deploying 331 aerial targets, of which Ukrainian Defense Forces managed to destroy or suppress 311.
