Sokhumi Airport employee arrested on suspicion of spying for Ukraine, Russian media

A Russian employee at Sokhumi Airport in occupied Abkhazia has been arrested on suspicion of espionage for Ukrainian military intelligence. The information was reported by Russian state-controlled media outlet TASS.

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said the man allegedly transferred sensitive information to Kyiv that could have been used for a terrorist attack. According to the FSB, the worker “took the initiative to transfer to the enemy a plan of the airport and the adjacent closed parking lot used to receive official international delegations.” The agency claimed that this plan could have been used to plant explosives.

TASS published a video showing armed men from the FSB and Sokhumi’s de facto security services arresting a man in a reflective jacket with his face blurred. The footage then shows the suspect sitting on a chair, also with a blurred face, describing how he was contacted via Telegram by an unknown person who proposed “working together to fight against the regime.” The suspect said he agreed and later suggested “organizing an explosion” at the airport’s VIP parking lot.

The FSB said the man provided detailed information about his alleged assignments, which included gathering intelligence on visits to the occupied region by Russian officials.

Sokhumi is the administrative center of Abkhazia, a region that broke away from Georgia during the early 1990s conflict. Although internationally recognized as part of Georgia, Abkhazia has been under Russian control since the 2008 war, when Russian forces occupied the region and later recognized its independence.