
Ukraine detains anti-corruption official accused of spying for Russia
While both Kyiv and Moscow have arrested dozens of suspected spies since Russia's 2022 invasion, confirmed cases of espionage within Ukraine's government institutions remain rare.
'An employee of the NABU (National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine) Central Office was detained,' the SBU security service said in a statement.
'He worked in the most elite, closed unit, 'D-2', and spied for the Russian special services,' it added, without identifying the suspect.
Earlier on Monday, the SBU searched offices of NABU and Ukraine's specialised anti-corruption prosecutor in Kyiv.
NABU said it had launched an 'internal review' and was 'investigating the legal basis of the actions taken, including the use of force against an employee.'
The SBU alleged that the suspect passed classified information to a deputy head of security for former president Viktor Yanukovich, who fled to Russia following his 2014 ouster.
A video released by the SBU showed armed men in camouflage pulling the suspect from a vehicle, forcing him to the ground and handcuffing him.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
UK launches sanctions regime targeting people-smuggling gangs
FILE PHOTO: Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy walks on Downing Street, on the day of the budget announcement, in London, Britain October 30, 2024. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes/File Photo LONDON - Britain on Monday launched a new sanctions regime targeting people-smuggling gangs and their enablers in what the government said was the first move of its kind globally. The United Kingdom will be able to freeze assets, impose travel bans and block access to the country's financial system for individuals and entities involved in enabling irregular migration, without relying on criminal or counterterrorism laws. The regime was previously outlined by foreign minister David Lammy in January. The British government said it would complement new powers in the Border, Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill that has yet to be enacted. The Labour government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under pressure to meet a pledge to stop the flow of tens of thousands of people into Britain from across the Channel in small boats. "For too long, criminal gangs have been lining their corrupt pockets and preying on the hopes of vulnerable people with impunity as they drive irregular migration to the UK," British foreign minister David Lammy said in a statement. " That's why the UK has created the world's first sanctions regime targeted at gangs involved in people smuggling and driving irregular migration, as well as their enablers." The government said the measures would target those who supply small boats, fake documents and financial services used by smuggling networks. Chris Philp, in charge of the security and immigration portfolio in parliament for the main opposition Conservatives, said in a statement that it would take more to stop the crossings. "The truth is you don't stop the Channel crossings by freezing a few bank accounts in Baghdad or slapping a travel ban on a dinghy dealer in Damascus," he said. "Swathes of young men are arriving daily, in boats bought online, guided by traffickers who laugh at our laws and cash in on our weakness." Starmer has recently agreed deals with France and Germany to help stop the arrival of small boats as he tries to stem the rise of the right-wing populist Reform UK party, led by Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage. REUTERS


CNA
6 hours ago
- CNA
US says it won't rush trade deals ahead of August deadline, will engage China
WASHINGTON: The Trump administration is prioritising the quality of trade agreements over meeting a looming deadline, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday (Jul 21), as countries scramble to avoid steep new tariffs set to take effect on Aug 1. 'We're not going to rush for the sake of doing deals,' Bessent told CNBC. Asked whether the deadline could be extended for countries engaged in talks, he said it would be up to President Donald Trump. 'If we somehow boomerang back to the August 1 tariff, I would think that a higher tariff level will put more pressure on those countries to come with better agreements,' he said. Trump has roiled global markets with sweeping tariff threats targeting most major US trading partners. But his administration has fallen short of securing deals with many countries, including India, the European Union and Japan, where negotiations have proven more difficult than anticipated. WHITE HOUSE, EU RESPONSE White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump may raise trade during talks with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr at the White House on Tuesday. She said the US remained engaged with governments globally and could announce new deals or issue more tariff notifications before the deadline, but offered no further details. Meanwhile, European Union diplomats said the bloc was considering broader counter-measures amid dimming prospects for a deal. Germany and other EU countries are weighing the use of 'anti-coercion' tools that could restrict US access to public tenders or target services. 'The negotiations over the level of tariffs are currently very intense,' said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. 'The Americans are quite clearly not willing to agree to a symmetrical tariff arrangement.' CHINA TALKS, JAPAN AND INDIA On China, Bessent said talks would resume 'in the very near future.' 'Trade is in a good place,' he said, adding that future discussions could focus on Beijing's continued purchases of sanctioned Iranian and Russian oil, and its excess capacity in sectors such as steel. 'The elephant in the room is this great rebalancing that the Chinese need to do.' Bessent also said he would encourage Europe to follow the US if it implements secondary tariffs on Russia. Japan's top trade envoy Ryosei Akazawa arrived in Washington on Monday for his eighth visit in three months. His trip comes after Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's ruling coalition suffered a setback in upper house elections, in part due to voter frustration over US tariffs. Bessent, who returned from a visit to Japan on Sunday, said Washington was focused on securing the best deal for Americans, not Japan's domestic political dynamics.


CNA
9 hours ago
- CNA
France jails three for exploiting migrant labour in Champagne harvest
CHLONS-EN-CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE: A French court on Monday (July 21) sentenced three people to jail for human trafficking in the Champagne region, ruling they exploited dozens of seasonal migrant workers and housed them in appalling conditions during the 2023 grape harvest. The trial, which centred on a company called Anavim, highlighted growing scrutiny over labour practices in the wine-making sector. A separate investigation is also probing the alleged use of undocumented Ukrainian workers in the same harvest, which was marked by intense heat and the deaths of four grape pickers. More than 50 victims, mostly undocumented migrants from Mali, Mauritania, Ivory Coast and Senegal, told the court they had been treated 'like slaves.' 'LIKE SLAVES,' NO FOOD OR WATER 'The people were working in really bad conditions, and this decision is fair,' said Amadou Diallo, a 39-year-old Senegalese man. The court sentenced the Kyrgyz director of Anavim to two years in prison, plus a two-year suspended term. She denied responsibility for the housing, blaming two male associates who helped recruit the workers. The two men, both in their thirties, were each sentenced to one year in jail with additional suspended terms. All three were convicted of human trafficking, defined under French law as exploiting a person through coercion, authority, vulnerability, or for payment. The Anavim director was also convicted of concealing the employment of undocumented workers. The court ordered the dissolution of Anavim and imposed a €75,000 (US$87,000) fine on a wine-making cooperative that worked with the firm. The three defendants must pay €4,000 to each victim. A lawyer for the Anavim director said the ruling was 'unfair' and would be appealed. 'My client is the ideal culprit for an industry that has long turned a blind eye to its own practices,' said defence lawyer Bruno Questel. HARVEST UNDER SCRUTINY Victims recounted grim details of their experience. 'They put us in an abandoned building, with no food, no water, no nothing,' said Modibo Sidibe, who described 13-hour workdays in the vineyards. Labour inspectors who visited the workers' accommodation in September 2023 described conditions that 'seriously undermined' health and dignity. Authorities later closed the building, citing makeshift bedding and 'the appalling state of the toilets, washrooms and communal areas.' Maxime Cessieux, a lawyer for the victims, said the verdict marked a turning point. 'The 2025 harvest will be closely scrutinised, and no one will be able to say 'I didn't know',' he said. INDUSTRY REACTION AND DEMANDS The Comité Champagne, which represents growers and producers, was a plaintiff in the case. 'You don't play with the health and safety of seasonal workers,' it said in a statement. 'Nor are we playing with the image of our appellation.' However, the CGT Champagne trade union said the punishment did not go far enough. Its general secretary, Jose Blanco, called for downgrading the harvest from areas where violations occurred, so the grapes could not be used in champagne production. Each year, around 120,000 seasonal workers are hired to pick grapes across 34,000 hectares in the Champagne region.