Two alleged spies were nabbed in Donetsk region snooping on the positions of Ukrainian HIMARS units, said Ukraine’s security service, the SBU,  in a statement on Monday.

The detained locals acted as artillery spotters for the enemy and were caught in a special ‘counter-sabotage’ operation  in the frontline zone that saw Ukrainian intelligence operatives going on a house-to-house search.

The information helping to pinpoint the enemy fire was sent to breakaway region law-enforcement official. The leads provided by the two collaborators allegedly helped  Russian stage shelling of a water supply system site in Selidove.

In a raid on the turncoats’ houses, Ukrainian law-enforcement team seized the computer, memory sticks and mobile phones containing evidence of the espionage.

Both of the detainees are facing collaboration charges under art. 111 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code.