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Russia expels Ukrainian spy, bans entry for 40 years — security service

Ivan Serdyuk, a citizen of north Ukraine’s Chernihiv region, was recruited by Ukraine’s special services as he returned home after being fined in Russia for having illegally crossed the border

BRYANSK, December 2. /TASS/. A Ukrainian Security Service agent caught in central Russia’s Bryansk region has been expelled and banned from entering the country until 2055, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Wednesday.

Ivan Serdyuk, a citizen of north Ukraine’s Chernihiv region, was recruited by Ukraine’s special services as he returned home after being fined in Russia for having illegally crossed the border.

He was later forced to cooperate with Ukrainian agents who gave him the codename Khokhol, a derogatory Russian term for Ukrainians.

Serdyuk was told to complain to Russian border guards about a "bad life" in Ukraine and seek permanent residence in Russia, then to become a Russian agent and leak false information to Russia’s special forces.

"Serdyuk was detained in November when returning from Russian territory to Ukraine. Upon the court ruling, the SBU agent was banned from entering Russia until 2055," the FSB said. The Ukrainian failed to fulfill his task and was expelled.

This is the second Ukrainian spy detected by Russia’s special forces inside Bryansk region, bordering on Ukraine. Ukrainian citizen Viktor Shura was sentenced to 12 years in jail in October for collecting data on Russian military facilities.