British National Arrested in Kyiv Over Alleged FSB-Linked Assassination Plot

10:48 PM, 12/03/2025

The Security Service of Ukraine has arrested British national Ross David Cutmore, alleging he took money and weapons from Russia’s FSB to plan assassinations and collect military intelligence. Ukrainian officials say he arrived in Kyiv in early 2024 as a military instructor and was allegedly recruited in Odesa in September 2024. Reports claim he received about $6,000, retrieved a pistol with two loaded magazines and was given instructions for an explosive device, but he was detained before any attack took place. The U.K. has offered consular assistance while underscoring it cannot interfere with Ukraine’s legal process.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has arrested British national Ross David Cutmore, alleging he accepted weapons, payments and instructions from Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) to carry out assassinations and gather intelligence inside Ukraine.

Ukrainian authorities say Cutmore arrived in Kyiv in early 2024 to work as a military instructor training Ukrainian personnel. The SBU alleges that months later he ceased instructing and, seeking what investigators described as "easy money," agreed to cooperate with Russian handlers.

Allegations and timeline

According to the SBU, Cutmore was recruited in Odesa in September 2024 after posting messages in pro‑Russian online groups. Investigators say he was paid approximately $6,000 to supply sensitive information, including details about other foreign instructors and coordinates of training centers in southern Ukraine.

The security service further alleges an FSB handler provided instructions for building an improvised explosive device and directed Cutmore to a cache where he retrieved a pistol and two loaded magazines. SBU agents say they detained him at his Kyiv residence before any attack could be carried out.

Legal and diplomatic status

If convicted, Ukrainian authorities report Cutmore could face up to 12 years in prison and confiscation of property. The U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has confirmed it is providing consular assistance to a detained British national and remains in contact with Ukrainian authorities, while emphasizing it cannot intervene in another country’s legal process.

Reports that Cutmore is a British army veteran remain unverified; officials say his military service record is unclear, and it has not been confirmed whether the uniform shown in photographs is from the British armed forces. The SBU and Kyiv’s Prosecutor’s Office have not provided immediate responses to requests for additional comment, and the FSB could not be reached for comment.

Context: Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, volunteers and foreign veterans have traveled to Ukraine to assist its armed forces. Ukrainian authorities say foreign instructors have been targeted by foreign intelligence services seeking to exploit access and gather information.

Authorities continue to investigate the case and have not released a complete timeline or full details of evidence presented so far.