Three Russian citizens, born in 1988, 1994 and 1995, were arrested by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) after being accused of treason. According to investigators, the men were seduced by a Ukrainian agent named Marina Kucherak, who convinced them to share Kremlin military secrets through a dating website.
Marina used fake names and sent sensual photos to the men to deceive them, making them believe they were in a romantic relationship. Unaware that they were assisting Ukrainian intelligence, the three Russians provided confidential information about Russian armed forces bases and missile operations in occupied Crimea.
The agent convinced the men to share intelligence information about the war in Ukraine, which began in February 2022. One of the detained Russians admitted to feeling "great attraction" for the woman he had met online, evidencing the degree of emotional manipulation used by the agent.
The three could be sentenced to life imprisonment for high treason against the Russian state, in accordance with current laws in Russia for this type of charge.
