Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has apprehended British citizen Ross David Cutmore on suspicion of acquiring weapons and ammunition from Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) with the intent to conduct assassinations within Ukraine, as per various reports. The SBU indicates that Cutmore faces a potential sentence of up to 12 years’ imprisonment, alongside property forfeiture.
Though certain reports have identified Cutmore as a former British army soldier, the specifics of his military service are unconfirmed, and it is likewise uncertain if the uniform depicted on him belongs to the British armed forces.
Upon inquiries regarding his military record, the U.K. Ministry of Defense directed Digital to the Foreign Office of the United Kingdom.
A representative from the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) informed Digital that, “We are extending consular aid to a British national held in Ukraine. Our communication with Ukrainian authorities remains consistent.”
The spokesperson further clarified that, as per its consular assistance guidelines, the FCDO is unable to “secure a British national’s release from prison, stop local authorities from deporting an individual post-sentence, or intervene in criminal or civil judicial processes. We are bound to adhere to the legal frameworks of other nations.”
Previously, on October 29, the SBU had announced the apprehension of an unnamed “ex-military instructor” alleged to be an FSB operative in Kyiv.
Following Russia’s invasion in February 2022, numerous foreign nationals traveled to Ukraine to aid in the conflict, a response to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s initial public appeal for veterans to join forces in Kyiv, sources indicate.
The SBU stated that he arrived in Kyiv at the beginning of 2024, taking on the role of a military instructor assigned to train Ukrainian soldiers. Several months thereafter, Cutmore ceased his instructing duties and purportedly proposed cooperation with, driven by a desire for “easy money,” according to the SBU’s assertions.
Investigators suspect that after placing posts on pro-Russian social media platforms, he was contacted by FSB agents, leading to his alleged recruitment in Odesa in September 2024, where he reportedly received $6,000 for supplying Russia with confidential intelligence, reports suggest.
An FSB handler reportedly assigned him the task of collecting data on other foreign military instructors and the precise locations of training facilities situated in southern Ukraine.
Furthermore, the SBU indicated that he received directions for constructing an improvised explosive device, alongside the coordinates of a hidden stash from which he retrieved a pistol and two loaded magazines; however, the SBU apprehended Cutmore at his Kyiv home before he could execute the assignment.
He stands accused of furnishing information concerning Ukraine’s military and of planning “terrorist acts,” as officially declared by the SBU.
Neither the SBU nor Kyiv’s Prosecutor’s Office promptly responded to Digital’s inquiries for commentary. The FSB was unavailable for immediate contact.