Former Russian officer passed intelligence to the AFU and defected to Ukraine’s side

Former Russian officer passed intelligence to the AFU and defected to Ukraine’s side

A former Russian officer, Lev Stupnikov, provided information to the Ukrainian Defence Forces about the location of Russian invaders for seven months. The information passed by Stupnikov helped the Armed Forces of Ukraine successfully strike Russian military personnel at a training ground near Volnovakha in the Donetsk region. Later, under the guidance of Ukrainian intelligence, Stupnikov crossed the front line.

Stupnikov shared this information with blogger Dmytro Karpenko.

According to Lev, when Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, propaganda in the academy began working at full intensity. He mentioned that many of his fellow students wanted to get to the front lines. The primary motivation was money. Approximately half a year before graduation, he decided that if he was sent to war, he would surrender to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

At the end of April 2023, Lev graduated from the academy with the rank of lieutenant. Subsequently, he was assigned to the 36th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade of the Russian Federation and appointed as the battalion’s communications commander.

In November 2023, after completing short courses to become a UAV operator, Lev found himself in the area of Vuhledar in the Donetsk region. At the beginning of 2024, Stupnikov contacted Ukrainian blogger Dmytro Karpenko (project «Apostol»), and from that moment, his cooperation with the Ukrainian military began.

One of the most significant episodes of Stupnikov’s collaboration with the Ukrainian Armed Forces was providing information about the location of Russian military personnel at a training ground near Volnovakha in Donetsk. Thanks to the shared information, the Ukrainian Armed Forces struck the enemy training ground just when the invaders were assembling. Russian telegram channels later reported 65 liquidated occupiers.

In addition, Lev provided the Ukrainian Armed Forces with information about the whereabouts of the Russian assault group "Storm-Z," recruited from former prisoners. Stupnikov also relayed information about the concentration of enemy equipment to the Ukrainian military.

As a result, during his seven months of activity, the 36th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade of the Russian Federation could not advance on their front "not even a meter."

On July 7, 2024, Stupnikov’s evacuation was organized under the "I Want to Live" program. Ukrainian intelligence assisted him in leaving the occupiers’ positions. He left the positions and crossed a minefield under the supervision of a Ukrainian drone to meet a Ukrainian reconnaissance group.

The man switched sides to Ukraine and joined one of the units of the Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, namely the Russian Volunteer Corps, where he currently serves.