On December 2, Ukrainian prosecutors issued an arrest warrant for Ross David Cutmore, 40, a British military lecturer from Dunfermline. The person was allegedly recruited by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) to carry out spies operations and plan an assassination plot right on Ukrainian territory in the period of 2024 - 2025.
Ross David Cutmore is a former British Army veteran with experience in the Middle East. He arrived in Ukraine early last year as a volunteer worker supporting the country's army and border defense forces. However, according to the investigation records, Cutmore changed course after meeting with Russian intelligence officers in the southern port city of Odesa.
The Kiev prosecutor's office said that in May 2025, the suspect transferred the coordinates of the positions of Ukrainian military units, images of the training facilities and personal information of the soldiers to Russia. This data is said to be used to identify and attack specific targets.
Cutmore is the prime suspect in the investigation, according to British news. He was accused of receiving $6,000 to sell sensitive information about military locations around the Odesa area. If convicted, the British veteran faces a sentence of up to 12 years in prison.
The seriousness of the incident does not stop at pointing activities. According to Ukrainian media, Cutmore is also suspected of supplying weapons to kill prominent Ukrainian activists.
The Ukrainian Internal Security Service said Cutmore had received instructions to manufacture explosives and coordinates of a secret weapons depot to get guns. Investigators believe the suspect proactively posted content inviting cooperation on pro-Russian social media groups, thereby getting into the target of FSB officers.
This arrest shocked the community of foreign volunteers in Ukraine. Since the conflict broke out in 2022, thousands of foreigners have come to support Kiev. The fact that a Western military lecturer was accused of spying for the opponent was a heavy blow to internal trust.
A British Foreign Ministry spokesperson confirmed the incident and said they were providing consular assistance to detained citizens.
On the Russian side, up to now, the Kremlin has not made any official comments. However, Russian officials have previously issued repeated warnings about the presence of Western military experts in Ukraine. Moscow has seen this as evidence that NATO is directly involved in the conflict and said that any foreign hiring is a legitimate attack target.
