Ukrainian secret service agents arrested a high-ranking government employee on Wednesday.

They claim he is a Russian agent, who was using surveillance equipment to spy on government activity.

The Kyiv Post identified him as interpreter Stanislav Yezhov.

The BBC's Ukraine reporter said Yezhov has been inside Downing Street and also met Joe Biden.



A man working as an interpreter for the Ukrainian government has been accused of spying for the Russians, according to reports.

The BBC's Kyiv correspondent, Jonah Fisher, wrote that Stanislav Yezhov was the man arrested by Ukrainian security services on Wednesday night. The Kyiv Post newspaper in Ukraine also named Yezhov as the man.

According the Kyiv Post, Yezhov worked for Ukraine's Prime Minister, Volodymyr Groysman, as an interpreter and "deputy head of protocol".

Fisher shared a photograph of a man he said was Yezhov walking just behind Groysman in 10 Downing Street during a meeting with Prime Minister Theresa May earlier this year.

He also said Yezhov was present for meetings between the Ukrainian government and Joe Biden, the former US vice-president.

A press release from the SBU, Ukraine's secret service, said they had detected a Russian agent working for the Ukrainian government.

The SBU said the suspect used electronic equipment to harvest data of interest to the Russian government.

Its release said: "The SBU operatives documented that the offender by the order of Russian curators collected data on the activities of governmental institutions by means of special equipment. He passed received data to curators through electronic communication channels."

It said he had been arrested for "suspicion in commitment of crime" but did not specify further.

Downing Street was not immediately able to comment when contacted by Business Insider.