LPR resident given 12 years imprisonment for spying for Ukraine
LUHANSK. Sept 24 (Interfax) - The Supreme Court of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) has sentenced an LPR resident to 12 years of imprisonment for collaborating with Ukrainian security services, the press service for the LPR State Security Ministry told Interfax on Tuesday.
"The Supreme Court of the Luhansk People's Republic has sentenced LPR citizen Yury Merzly to 12 years of imprisonment for high treason in the form of spying," the press service said.
According to the press service, it was established during the investigation that employees of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) recruited Merzly as an agent in the city of Lysychansk controlled by Kyiv. "The alias 'Uman' was assigned to him and he was tasked with collecting and handing information of a military and socioeconomic nature, as well as compiling reports about specific persons of the SBU's interest, including among employees of the LPR law enforcement agencies," it said.
"In addition, in order to undermine the security of the Luhansk People's Republic, the Ukrainian security service developed a concept of operations in disinformation of the state security agencies. Acting in a deliberate manner in accordance with the instructions given to him under the SBU's control and guidance, Yury Merzly intentionally provided false information to an employee of the State Security Ministry," it said.
In accordance with the LPR laws, collaboration with foreign security services is punishable by imprisonment for up to 20 years and confiscation of property.