Scottish man admits spying for Putin as he is jailed for eight years in Ukraine

A Scottish man who spied on the Ukrainian military for Russia has been jailed for more than eight years. Ross David Cutmore, from Dunfermline in Fife, admitted to working as a Russian spy and sharing information about Ukraine's military in return for payment. He had worked as a military instructor in Ukraine and arrived there in early 2024. In a statement, the Ukrainian prosecutor general's office said the 40-year-old had "acted out of selfish motives and with the intent to transmit this data to the aggressor country". Cutmore has now been jailed in Ukraine for eight years and six months after admitting his guilt in a plea deal at the Kyiv district court of Odesa on April 30. Prosecutors said Cutmore arrived in the country in January 2024, and ran classes for Ukrainian service personnel in the city of Mykolaiv. He gave up the role in September that same year and began looking for "easy money" in pro-Kremlin online communities. After moving to Odessa, Cutmore established contact with a member of the Russian special services and agreed to transmit military information in return for payment. An investigation by the Ukrainian security service (SBU) found Cutmore had transmitted the co-ordinates of Ukrainian units, photographs of a training area, and information that could lead to the identification of service personnel. He also collected data on facilities in Odesa and "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 earned him $6,000 (£4,500). During the probe, Cutmore was found to possess a Makarov pistol and combat cartridges, which he is said to have acquired and stored illegally. The Scot was "exposed and detained" in October 2025 and, on March 27 the following year, prosecutors submitted an indictment to the court, 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."