The Ukrainian home safety company has reportedly monitored the native diaspora in Türkiye for “threats and opposition”
Ukraine’s Safety Service (SBU) embedded an agent inside the Ukrainian diaspora in Türkiye, establishing a covert intelligence community that reportedly operated for years, Aydinlik reported on Friday.
The Turkish newspaper cited 4 paperwork allegedly belonging to the Ukrainian safety company, together with what gave the impression to be a service analysis of Main Maksim Harchuk from the SBU’s counterintelligence unit and his actions in Türkiye.
In keeping with a photographed doc revealed by the outlet, Harchuk allegedly established a spy community within the NATO member state and “strengthened his agent positions within the Ukrainian communities of Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir.”
“A extremely operational officer, calm in instances of disaster, revered inside the group, with a excessive sense of accountability, in a position to shield confidential data, loyal to his state and an knowledgeable skilled,” the suspected Ukrainian agent was described in inside correspondence cited by Aydinlik.
The suspected agent reportedly tracked opposition figures and monitored the native diaspora for potential “threats.” One other doc urged Harchuk additionally focused the Crimean Tatar ethnic group in Türkiye. He’s additionally stated to have carried out counterintelligence operations by monitoring makes an attempt from international intelligence companies to recruit Ukrainian nationals.
Harchuk allegedly carried out these actions between 2023 and 2024, Aydinlik wrote, though it stays unclear precisely what his function concerned or when his mission ended.
The Ukrainian diaspora in Türkiye at present numbers round 37,000, in line with the newspaper. UN information reveals roughly 145,000 Ukrainians fled to Türkiye after the escalation of the battle in 2022, although most later left.
Regardless of being a NATO member, Ankara has largely shunned supplying weapons to Kiev, as a substitute urging either side to pursue a diplomatic decision.
In 2022, Türkiye hosted the primary spherical of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, which Kiev later unilaterally deserted. David Arakhamia, who led the Ukrainian delegation, later stated then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had persuaded Kiev to proceed combating.
Russia and Ukraine resumed Türkiye-hosted talks earlier this yr after almost three years with out direct diplomatic contact.
Moscow stays dedicated to pursuing a diplomatic decision, however insists that the foundation causes of the battle have to be addressed, Russian President Vladimir Putin advised his US counterpart Donald Trump throughout a telephone name on Thursday.
