More than 300 occupiers were destroyed: a Russian officer passed data on Russian army units to Ukrainian intelligence

Russian Lieutenant Lev Stupnikov, who served near Vugledar, secretly provided Ukrainian intelligence with coordinates, photographs, and other data about Russian army units. According to journalists, this information helped to carry out operations that resulted in the deaths of more than 300 Russian soldiers.

This is reported by The Wall Street Journal .

Stupnikov graduated from a military academy in St. Petersburg and became the communications chief of a battalion preparing for the offensive on Vugledar. His position gave him access to command communications, data from reconnaissance drones, and surveillance cameras.

One of the most effective episodes occurred during Russian military exercises near the front line. Stupnikov photographed a gathering of infantrymen, medics, and officers and passed the photo on to the Ukrainian side. He had sent the coordinates of the location earlier.

Before the strike, the officer left the main group, explaining his illness. After that, Ukrainian forces launched a missile strike.

Stupnikov later reported the consequences of the attack: 68 dead and 60 wounded. According to him, 10 officers were among the dead, including the commander of the 36th Motorized Rifle Brigade, Colonel Huseyn Musayev.

According to The Wall Street Journal, based on testimony from Stupnikov’s handlers, correspondence, video recordings, and official Russian reports, the coordinates he provided helped Ukraine carry out several operations that resulted in the deaths of more than 300 Russian servicemen.

At the time of the described events, Stupnikov was 26 years old. Journalists attribute his decision to cooperate with Ukraine to his disillusionment with the Russian army, which began even before the full-scale invasion.

According to Stupnikov, he was rejected from flight school at the age of 17 after refusing to pay a bribe. While studying at the military academy, he claims, cadets paid for the opportunity to leave the institution’s territory, receive longer vacations, and influence the choice of their place of service after graduation.

Stupnikov planned to leave his military career by 2021. After marrying his longtime girlfriend Lisa, he wanted to work as a fitness trainer and start a family.

After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, his attitude towards the army deteriorated. Stupnikov said he was shocked by the video of strikes on Ukrainian cities and did not want to take part in the war.

At the military academy, cadets were given daily reports on combat operations and shown speeches by Vladimir Putin regarding the so-called “special military operation.” According to Stupnikov, he hid his own views.

In April, before the planned June graduation, about 450 cadets from his class were promoted to lieutenant. Stupnikov was assigned to the battalion that was to take part in the battles for Vugledar.

In February 2024, Stupnikov’s mother wrote to Dmytro Karpenko, a programmer who, according to journalists, collaborated with Ukrainian military intelligence. After talking to his mother, Stupnikov sent his name, rank, location, and the names of his battalion and brigade via WhatsApp.

After that, he began to transfer information about his unit to the Ukrainian side. Later, according to the version described in the material, Stupnikov crossed the front line and handed over a smartphone with passwords to several communication channels to the Ukrainians.

According to The Wall Street Journal, these accesses allowed the Ukrainian side to receive live broadcasts from about 10 Russian drones and surveillance cameras for several months. After moving to the Ukrainian side, Stupnikov decided to cooperate with the Russian Volunteer Corps.

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