A British Citizen Detained in Ukraine on Suspicion of Espionage for Russia 0 36

It is reported that Catmore was recruited by the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia, and he transmitted classified information to the Russian authorities for a reward.

"We are providing consular assistance to the British citizen detained in Ukraine," said a spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office. "We are in close contact with the Ukrainian authorities."

According to Ukrainian officials, Catmore arrived in Ukraine in January 2024 to train recruits in the city of Mykolaiv.

"In May 2025, he transmitted the coordinates of the locations of Ukrainian units, photographs of training sites, as well as information about servicemen that could be used for their identification," stated the Kyiv Prosecutor's Office in a statement circulated by several media outlets.

"Additionally, an analysis of his correspondence confirmed the completion of other tasks in the interests of Russian intelligence services."

Catmore faces up to 12 years in prison with property confiscation, Ukrainian officials confirmed.

Investigators believe that Catmore advertised his services through "ads" in various pro-Kremlin groups on social media.

"Initially, he conducted training sessions for military personnel in Mykolaiv, and later worked in one of the border units," stated another prosecutor's statement from October.

"At the end of September 2024, after finishing his work as an instructor, he moved to Odesa, where he established contact with a representative of the Russian intelligence services and agreed to transmit military information for money," the statement said.

Catmore was detained in October at his residence in Kyiv.

The father of the detained British citizen, Ross John Catmore, told the British newspaper Daily Telegraph from his home in Scotland on Tuesday that he was shocked by what happened. "I just have no words. I am an ordinary person. I go to work. I just live my life in a normal family," said Catmore's father.