Ukraine accuses government interpreter of spying for Russia

December 22, 2017 (BBC News Europe) Ukraine's main security agency has arrested a senior government translator and accused him of being a Russian spy. Stanislav Yezhov, who accompanied the country's prime minister on numerous trips, was detained in Kiev on Wednesday. The Security Service of Ukraine [SBU] said Mr Yezhov had gathered information about government activities. In July, he was part of a delegation that visited UK Prime Minister Theresa May in Downing Street.

Stanislav Yezhov (centre) pictured between Ukraine's Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman and UK Prime Minister Theresa May

A statement posted on the SBU website [in Ukrainian] said: "Law enforcers found that an official was recruited by Russian intelligence agencies during a long-time foreign mission." They said Mr Yezhov, who is facing charges of treason, used "special equipment" to gather information which he then passed on to his Russian handlers.

Ukraine's Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman posted about the arrest on his Facebook page. He said Mr Yezhov was "an official in the government's secretariat who was working in the interests of the enemy state [Russia] for a long time". He worked in the cabinet of ministers where he would have had access to sensitive government information. Prior to this, he served as a translator for Ukraine's former president Viktor Yanukovych.