A deserter posted the positions of Ukrainian missile systems in Mykolaiv Oblast on TikTok: he faces up to 8 years in prison
Secret positions made public: SBU exposes serviceman who posted videos on social media
Military counterintelligence of the Security Service of Ukraine exposed a sailor in Mykolaiv Oblast who posted TikTok videos showing the basing locations of his Ukrainian Navy unit. The SBU press service reported this on October 22, 2026.
According to the investigation, the contract serviceman posted videos on social media showing the combat positions of missile system operators tasked with defending the coastline in Ukraine’s southern region.
Law enforcement officers established that the sailor shared classified information after abandoning his military unit without authorization. While in hiding, he posted more than 10 previously recorded videos on his TikTok page showing the Navy unit’s locations and combat operations. The videos were filmed on a mobile phone and included location data. Investigators say this could have enabled Russian forces to determine the coordinates of Ukrainian defensive lines.
The SBU said the published material could have been used by Russian forces to prepare an attack on Ukrainian Navy positions. At the same time, the SBU’s military counterintelligence exposed the suspect and took steps in advance to secure the temporary deployment sites of Ukraine’s Defense Forces.
The Security Service investigators notified the sailor that he was suspected of committing an offense under Part 2 of Article 114-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The charge concerns the unauthorized dissemination of information about the locations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine where those places can be identified on the ground, committed under martial law. The article provides for a prison sentence of up to 8 years.
The SBU also noted that in the previous two weeks, it had detained three residents of the capital region who posted information about Ukrainian air defense positions on social media.
We previously reported:
- SBU: FSB-recruited deserter returned to the military to spy in southern Ukraine
- Photos, takeoff times and base locations: SBU exposes network that was “hunting” F-16s and Mirage 2000s
- Gathered intelligence for Russian strikes on Mykolaiv: SBU detains two Russian agents
- Sold Ukrainian Armed Forces positions for money: SBU detains repeat offender working for Russia in Mykolaiv
- Child agents detained for filming Ukrainian Armed Forces positions with dashcams in seven regions, including Mykolaiv
