A British man, a former member of his country’s armed forces, is being held in Ukraine on suspicion of spying for Russia, according to the Ukrainian agency SBU.

Ross David Cutmore is about 40 years old and was arrested last October at his home in Kiev. Ukrainian authorities today revealed his name and more details about him.

Cutmore had arrived on Ukrainian soil several months ago to train fighters, but Ukrainian authorities discovered his real activities with the help of British intelligence.

The SBU said the Briton, who presented himself as a military trainer, had in fact been recruited by the Russian FSB with the lure of “easy money”. According to the Ukrainian authorities, he had been provided with weapons and ammunition ‘in order to carry out targeted assassinations on the territory of Ukraine’.

An SBU source told the Mirror that the man “is in custody and the investigation is ongoing”, without giving further details about his identity or the scope of the charges he faces. Ukrainian media reported that he was active in the country between 2024 and 2025 and is accused of carrying out “reconnaissance and sabotage operations” on behalf of Moscow.