MOSCOW, June 7. /TASS/. The Federal Security Service has apprehended an agent of Ukraine’s special services and he has been expelled from Russia, the FSB Public Relations Center told TASS on Monday.

"During a search operation, the FSB thwarted the intelligence and subversive activity in the interests of Ukrainian special services, carried out by Ukrainian national Alexei Petrovich Semenyaka," the statement said.

The officers found out that his activity had been coordinated by Ukrainian counter-intelligence for a long time. However, the FSB noted that Semenyaka failed to harm Russia’s external security. "The foreigner’s stay in Russia was considered as undesirable, he has been barred from entering the country for 25 years. On June 3, 2021 the Ukrainian national left Russia’s soil," the FSB said.

During the interrogation, Semenyaka confirmed that he had maintained contacts with representatives of Ukraine’s special service for a long time and had consulted them. The officers seized his devices with messages from the Ukrainian Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), "asking for providing them with assistance in solving working issues with the ultimate goal of harming Russia’s security interests."

Some individuals based in Kiev tried to remotely destroy data from Semenyaka’s mobile phone, however they failed to do so. The FSB classified this step by the SBU sponsors as an attempt to protect the Ukrainian national.