Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) arrested a high-ranking officer accusing "the rat" of working for Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), the agency announced Wednesday (Feb 12).

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The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said it had documented "14 episodes of the 'rat's' illegal activities," saying the man had headed the SBU's Anti-Terrorist Centre.

The suspect, identified as the head of the SBU’s Anti-Terrorism Centre, was detained in a special operation led by SBU chief Vasyl Malyuk, who was involved in the investigation and apprehension.

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What did Malyuk say?

Vasyl Malyuk, the head of the SBU, led the investigation and carried out the arrest himself, according to a statement from the agency, which said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had been kept updated on the "complex" and "multi-step" operation.

"Using encrypted software bookmarks, we penetrated the traitor's gadgets—mobile terminals, computers," Malyuk was quoted as saying in the SBU's statement. "In the process of all this, we managed to qualitatively document the collection and transmission of relevant information by the traitor to the enemy."

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Malyuk grasps the alleged traitor by neck

A photo shows Malyuk grasping the alleged traitor by the neck, with visible bruising on the traitor's forehead.

In an accompanying video, Malyuk said the man had worked with the SBU since 2016 and that he was now being investigated for suspected high treason.

The SBU also claimed it had used the man to feed disinformation back to Russia.

"The self-purification of the SBU continues," said Malyuk. "No matter how the enemy tries to penetrate our ranks—he thinks he has all possible forms and methods of conspiracy—he will not be able to do it successfully. Because we detect, document, and detain them in a timely manner."

(With inputs from agencies)