Scottish man who spied on Ukraine military for Russia jailed for eight years

A Scottish man who worked as a military instructor in Ukraine has been jailed for eight-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to spying for Russia.

Ross David Cutmore, from the city of Dunfermline in Fife, was recruited by a member of the Russian special services and transmitted information about the Ukrainian military in return for payment.

The Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office said that he had “acted out of selfish motives and with the intent to transmit this data to the aggressor country”.

Cutmore was jailed for eight years and six months after admitting his guilt in a plea deal at the Kyiv district court of Odesa on 30 April.

Cutmore arrived in the country in January 2024, according to prosecutors. He ran classes for Ukrainian service personnel in the city of Mykolaiv.

In September that year, he moved to Odesa, where he established contact with a member of the Russian special services and agreed to transmit military information in return for payment.

In May 2025, an investigation by the Ukrainian security service (SBU) found that Cutmore had transmitted the co-ordinates of Ukrainian units and photographs of a training area, as well as information that could lead to the identification of service personnel.

The Scottish man was also found to have collected data on facilities in Odesa.

He was also found to have “discussed the possibility of using explosive devices, and attempted to gain access to the command of military units”.

One of the tasks is said to have netted him US $6,000 (£4,500).

He was also found to possess a Makarov pistol and combat cartridges, which he is said to have acquired and stored illegally.

Cutmore was “exposed and detained” in October 2025.

Prosecutors submitted an indictment to the court on 27 March 2026, along with a plea agreement.

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: “We are providing consular assistance to a British man who is detained in Ukraine.

“We remain in close contact with the Ukrainian authorities.”