The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced on July 9 the detention of two Chinese nationals in Kyiv suspected of attempting to steal classified military technology related to Ukraine’s Neptune cruise missile system.
The suspects, a 24-year-old former Kyiv technical university student and his father, were allegedly gathering secret documentation for illegal transfer to Chinese intelligence. The younger man, expelled from university in 2023, reportedly tried to recruit a Ukrainian national to obtain technical data on the RK-360MC Neptune missile system.
This incident comes as China has become a significant partner for Russia, aiding in sanction circumvention and supplying dual-use goods for its defense sector. Just recently, on July 8, President Volodymyr Zelensky sanctioned five Chinese companies for allegedly supplying components found in Russian Shahed-type drones.
The Neptune missile gained international recognition for sinking the Russian Black Sea Fleet flagship Moskva in 2022.
The SBU stated the younger suspect was caught “red-handed” during the transfer of sensitive documents, with his father detained shortly after. Investigators believe the elder suspect, who regularly visited Ukraine from China, supervised his son’s espionage. Evidence of their coordinated spying efforts, including encrypted communications, was found on their mobile phones.
Both individuals face espionage charges, which could lead to up to 15 years in prison and property confiscation if convicted. In a related event, Ukraine used a Neptune missile in January to strike a Russian warehouse in Rostov Oblast.
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