British man arrested in Kyiv, accused of spying for Russia's FSB

The Foreign Office said it is providing consular assistance (PA) Clive Gee

A British man has been arrested in Kyiv and accused of spying for Russia's FSB security service, Ukrainian officials confirmed. Ross David Cutmore faces up to 12 years in prison if convicted of transmitting sensitive military information to Russian authorities. His father, a former Royal Marine, said the accusations were «hard to take in».

Ukrainian investigators allege Cutmore sent coordinates of Ukrainian units, photographs of training areas, and information that could identify military personnel to Russia. He was arrested outside his Kyiv residence in October after authorities tracked his activities through correspondence analysis.

Father expresses shock

Ross John Cutmore told the Press Association he learned of his son's detention «a few weeks back». Speaking from his home in Dunfermline, Fife, he said: «Along the way we found out why he'd been detained. It was a bit unbelievable.»

The former Marine acknowledged his pragmatic outlook from military service but stressed the shock remained. «Even though I've had a few weeks to process it, it's still a shock», he said. He has had no direct contact with his son since the arrest, receiving updates through his ex-wife who serves as the point of contact with authorities.

Timeline of alleged espionage

Ross David Cutmore first traveled to Ukraine two years ago and arrived in January 2024 to conduct instructional sessions for military personnel in Mykolaiv. The Kyiv prosecutor's office stated: «Initially, he conducted instructional sessions for military personnel in Mykolaiv, and later worked in one of the border units.»

Prosecutors allege he moved to Odesa at the end of September 2024, where he «established contact with a representative of the Russian special service and agreed to provide military information for money». Officials said analysis of his correspondence confirmed «he had carried out other tasks for the benefit of the Russian special services».

UK response

A Foreign Office spokeswoman confirmed: «We are providing consular assistance to a British man who is detained in Ukraine. We remain in close contact with the Ukrainian authorities.»

The investigation is expected to take «up to three or four months», according to Ross John Cutmore. If convicted, his son faces a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison and confiscation of property.

Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).