• Ukraine said it stopped a Russian spy group from collecting information about its F-16 fighter jets.

• The group wanted to find out details about the airfields that could be used by F-16 aircraft, they said.

• Ukraine said the group’s leader was arrested and other members were charged.

Ukraine said it disrupted a Russian spy ring that was collecting information about the F-16 fighter jets that it had received from its Western allies.

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said on Tuesday it had neutralized a network of Russian spies that was collecting intelligence on military targets, including its F-16s.

According to the SBU, the group was tasked with identifying the locations of military airfields where F-16 fighter jets could be based, as well as the locations of Ukraine’s air defense systems and companies producing electronic warfare systems to counter Russian drones.

It said the group worked in five regions of Ukraine and was set up by Russia’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU).

It’s not clear how much information, if any, the group was able to gather.

The SBU said its operation exposed 12 Russian agents and their informants.

Some of them were deserters who left the Ukrainian military and were recruited by Russia while hiding from punishment, it said. They added that they used their contacts, such as Ukrainian soldiers in frontline areas, to collect information.

Ukraine’s prosecutors said one fraudulently recruited three soldiers he knew by pretending to work for Ukrainian intelligence, Pravda reported.

The SBU said that agents who received the information would then go to the area of ​​potential targets to collect additional information.

According to Radio Free Europe, the group’s organizer was arrested and prominent members were charged with state treason and unauthorized disclosure of military information about the movement and location of Ukrainian armed forces.

Other members of the group could also face charges, the report said.

The SBU said the suspects face prison sentences ranging from eight years to life in prison, as well as confiscation of their property.

The F-16s are the most powerful fighter aircraft in Ukraine’s arsenal, making them an important military and propaganda target for Russia.

Ukraine began deliveries of F-16 aircraft this summer after repeated requests for these aircraft. Air warfare experts say the jets will significantly bolster Ukraine’s defenses and help it protect cities and other targets from Russian drone and missile attacks.

Russia began attacking Ukrainian bases where F-16 aircraft could be stationed before the first ones arrived. However, there were no reports of successful attacks on bases while the jets were present.

Despite their perceived importance, experts say Ukraine isn’t getting enough F-16s to make much of a difference and that it won’t be able to use them for airstrikes or attacks if it doesn’t get more.

The F-16s being handed over to Ukraine are also decades old – and less powerful than Russia’s best jets and the most advanced aircraft used by Ukraine’s allies.

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