MINSK, 20 November (BelTA) – The Ukrainian citizen Pavel Sharoiko has created a human intelligence network in Belarus, BelTA learned from Dmitry Pobyarzhin, a spokesman for the State Security Committee of Belarus (KGB), on 20 November.
Pavel Sharoiko, a regular officer of the Central Intelligence Office of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, was caught in flagrante delicto by the State Security Committee of Belarus on 25 October. Since he had worked as the chief of the press service of the Central Intelligence Office of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry in the past, he was working in Belarus as a reporter of the National Public Television and Radio Company of Ukraine.
The KGB spokesman explained: “In Belarus Pavel Sharoiko created a human intelligence network made up of Belarusian citizens, who had been collecting intelligence of military and political nature for him in exchange for money.”
Pavel Sharoiko is facing criminal charges in accordance with Article 358 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (espionage). He is now in custody.
“An investigation has produced convincing evidence of his unlawful activities, which damage the national interests of the Republic of Belarus,” said the KGB spokesman.
The detainee was searched and copies of the intelligence reports he had previously sent to his superiors were found. “Pavel Sharoiko confessed he is a regular officer, a colonel working undercover for the military intelligence service,” said the KGB representative. Pavel Sharoiko also confirmed that his intelligence gathering efforts had been supervised by Igor Skvortsov, an officer at the Central Intelligence Office of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, who had worked in Belarus under the guise of the counsellor of the Ukrainian embassy. Igor Skvortsov has been declared persona non grata for actions incompatible with his diplomatic status.
