Russia has reportedly “neutralised” hundreds of foreign spies in recent years, according to an ally of President Vladimir Putin.

Russia Security Council secretary Nikolai Patrushev said “hundreds of employees of foreign intelligence services” have been neutralised over the past years, in a foreign intelligence agency’s house magazine on Friday.

“In recent years, hundreds of employees of foreign intelligence services, as well as other persons involved in organising intelligence and subversive activities against our country and our strategic partners, have been identified and neutralised,” Mr Patrushev claimed. 

It was unclear what neutralising referred to. 

Mr Patrushev is a close ally of Mr Putin and a key advocate of hardline policies within the Kremlin.

He is also the former director of the Federal Security Service (FSB). 

The news comes as Russia jails a man for 12 and a half years, for allegedly sending missile components to the US. 

Sergei Kabanov is said to have smuggled missile components to an Alabama firm under the control of the US Defense Department, according to the FSB. 

He was convicted of treason and will serve out his sentence in a maximum security prison colony. 

Kabanov smuggled the air defence missile and radar-based weapons systems to the US via Latvia, according to Russia news agency reports. 

Russian news agency TASS also released footage of the shipping documents and an invoice which the FSB used as evidence in the case against Kabanov.

Ukraine retakes more territory 

Meanwhile, Ukraine military officials say troops have recaptured a village near Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine in their counterattack against Russia. 

Russia had suffered significant casualties and loss of equipment, as Ukrainian troops fortified some areas, the General Staff of Ukraine’s armed forces claimed on Friday.

“In the course of assault operations, they seized Andriivka in Donetsk region,” the General Staff said.

The village of Andriivka lies south of Bakhmut where the war against Russia has been particularly volatile. 

The General Staff also reported “partial success” near Klishchiivka village, south of Bakhmut.

During its three-month-old counteroffensive, Ukraine has reported slow but steady progress against entrenched Russian positions, retaking a string of villages and advancing on the flanks of Bakhmut.

Ukraine’s Deputy Defence Minister, Hanna Maliar initially reported on Thursday Andriivka had been reclaimed but later said that was inaccurate as fighting was still raging around the village.

Further south in Donetsk region, Ukrainian troops continued to hold back a Russian offensive towards the towns of Avdiivka and Maryinka, according to General Staff. 

Reuters was unable to verify the battlefield reports and Russia has not confirmed the Ukrainian advances.

Reuters