Ukraine Sentences Two Diplomats for Spying

RIA Novosti

15:37 18/07/2012

KIEV, July 18 (RIA Novosti) - Two diplomats, identified only as coming from Asia, have been sentenced to eight years imprisonment for an attempt to steal secret rocket technology from Ukraine, the press service of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said on Wednesday.

Ukrainian paper Segodnya has identified the two men as Ryu Song-chul and Lee Tae-kil and alleged that they are from North Korea.

The spies had been working with a trade mission in Minsk. Using internet, they attempted to establish contacts with specialists related to Ukraine’s rocket design bureau Yuzhnoye and tried to persuade them to provide access to classified documents.

The spies were caught red-handed in July 2011 in a garage in Dnepropetrovsk “when taking photographs of classified documents.” They were also carrying special electronic equipment.

It is unclear whether or not the diplomats had immunity.

In January 2012 the case against them was submitted to court. In May, court found the two men guilty of espionage. Each of them got an eight-year jail term. The sentence took effect in June 2012.