A secret code, a midnight escape and 300 deaths: The Russian officer who turned on Putin

A 26-year-old Russian military officer secretly supplied Ukraine with sensitive battlefield intelligence, helping its forces kill more than 300 Russian soldiers before escaping across the frontline and joining a unit fighting against President Vladimir Putin's government, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. Lieutenant Lev Stupnikov allegedly used his position in the Russian army to pass military secrets to Ukrainian intelligence. His role gave him access to troop movements, operational plans and surveillance feeds from reconnaissance drones and cameras. After reaching Ukraine, Stupnikov joined the fight against Moscow. However, his decision came at a personal cost. He eventually lost contact with his wife, Liza, who accused him of betraying both his country and their marriage.

'There's just meat': How he helped Ukraine strike Russian troops

A graduate of the Budyonny Military Academy of the Signal Corps, Stupnikov was appointed chief signals officer of a battalion assigned to capture Vuhledar, a strategically important Ukrainian stronghold in the Donbas region. His responsibilities included maintaining communications between commanders and frontline units and ensuring they received information from surveillance systems. Instead, he secretly passed Ukrainian military intelligence precise details about Russian positions and planned movements.

During a freezing morning in eastern Ukraine, Stupnikov pretended to suffer from stomach cramps to leave his fellow soldiers. Shortly afterwards, Ukrainian missiles struck the coordinates he had provided. The attack killed 68 Russian soldiers, including Colonel Gusein Musayev, who was reportedly among Kyiv's priority targets. Another 60 troops were wounded. "Were there explosions? Send a photo", a Ukrainian contact messaged Stupnikov after the strike. "There's just meat," he replied. According to the report, thousands of people, including soldiers and homemakers, communicated with Ukrainian agents through encrypted platforms.

Russia's invasion changed everything for him

Stupnikov's decision to turn against the Russian military stemmed from his opposition to the invasion of Ukraine. In February 2022, he watched videos of Russian helicopters flying over Ukrainian cities and bombs exploding as Moscow launched its full-scale invasion. The images left him horrified. "They were dropping bombs on innocent civilians," he said. “It was evil.” He struggled to understand how fellow soldiers could continue their daily routines while the war devastated Ukrainian communities.

At home, he spent evenings with his wife, Liza, watching videos featuring Russian opposition figures and interviews with Ukrainian-held Russian prisoners of war. Even at the military academy, a small group of cadets shared similar views. They exchanged glances that suggested they understood one another, while some attempted to leave the institution. Their requests, however, remained pending for months. "I couldn't show my emotions," he recalled. "But inside, I was on fire."

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His mother helped him contact Ukrainian intelligence

Stupnikov's mother, Tatiana Yantsen, also opposed Putin's government. The 49-year-old office worker had participated in protests against the Russian president. In February 2024, three months after her son started serving on the frontline, she contacted Dmytro Karpenko, a computer programmer who worked closely with Ukrainian military intelligence. Karpenko operated a network of Russian informants through encrypted communication platforms. He had also attracted attention for publishing video interviews with Russian prisoners of war on YouTube.

According to the report, some Russian servicemen contacted him after returning home and offered to provide military information in exchange for money. In October 2023, Karpenko announced a payment of 250,000 rubles, equivalent to approximately $2,700, to Russian servicemen willing to supply information supporting Ukraine's war effort. Stupnikov's eventual escape was organised through this network. He, Karpenko and Ukrainian scouts used encrypted applications to coordinate a route across the dangerous frontline.

Russian officer's escape across the frontline

In July 2024, Stupnikov slipped away from his Russian military unit at night and travelled north towards Ukrainian positions. Ukrainian operators monitored his movements in real time from an underground bunker using a live video feed. After approximately 40 minutes, he reached a tree line where soldiers from Ukraine's 72nd Brigade were stationed. The Ukrainian troops spotted a man wearing a Russian uniform approaching their position. From a dugout, they pointed their rifles at him and demanded, “What's the passcode?” Stupnikov responded with the pre-arranged answer, 'peanut shop', before being taken into Ukrainian custody. He later joined the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC), a unit made up of ethnic Russians fighting alongside Ukraine against Putin's government. He now serves as a communications specialist, according to the report.

His mother and sister planned to join him

In February 2025, Stupnikov's mother and sister packed a backpack and a suitcase each in preparation for travelling to Moldova. Their plan was to cross into Ukraine on foot and meet Karpenko. Meanwhile, Tatiana had spent months receiving calls from Russian military officials seeking her help in persuading her son to surrender if he was still alive.

She presented herself as a distressed mother, insisting that locating him was the authorities' responsibility.

A year later, Stupnikov recounted his experiences in a two-hour video interview with Karpenko. The interview brought renewed attention to his defection and the intelligence he had allegedly provided to Ukrainian forces. Despite the consequences of his decision, Stupnikov maintained that his actions were consistent with the oath he had taken at the military academy nearly a decade earlier. He had pledged to defend his country's freedom, independence and constitutional order. In his view, Putin's invasion had destroyed those principles. "Did I betray my oath? I pledged to defend freedom, independence, and the constitutional order," he said. "But Putin destroyed all three."