Overview of The Russian Officer Secretly Working for Ukraine
This episode of The Journal tells the extraordinary true story of Lev Stupnikov, a Russian army officer who secretly began feeding battlefield intelligence to Ukraine, helping set up strikes that killed scores of Russian soldiers and eventually led to the deaths of roughly 300 Russian troops. The story follows Stupnikov from his military upbringing in Siberia, through his growing disillusionment with the Russian army, to his covert communications with a Ukrainian handler, his dangerous exfiltration across the front line, and his eventual decision to keep fighting on Ukraine’s side.
Main Story
How Lev Stupnikov entered the Russian military
- Stupnikov grew up in Omsk, Siberia, where his mother enrolled him in a military cadet school.
- He later attended a military academy, taking an oath to serve Russia as an officer.
- Over time, he became increasingly disillusioned by:
- Outdated Soviet-era equipment
- Corruption and bribery
- The reality that the Russian military looked much weaker than its propaganda suggested
The war changes everything
- Stupnikov had hoped to eventually leave the military and build a civilian life with his wife, Lisa.
- But after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, he could no longer simply resign.
- In November 2023, he was sent to the front in eastern Ukraine as head of signals for his battalion, giving him access to sensitive information.
Secret cooperation with Ukraine
- Stupnikov began quietly communicating via WhatsApp with a Ukrainian handler, later identified through the reporting as Dmitry Karpenko (the transcript says “Dmitrov”).
- He sent coordinates and target information that helped Ukraine strike Russian positions.
- His first major contribution came when he photographed a group of Russian soldiers preparing for drills and sent the images to Ukraine.
- After a final warning to leave the area, a strike hit the formation, killing 68 Russian soldiers, including senior officers.
A deeper role behind enemy lines
- Over the next several months, Stupnikov continued passing on Russian military plans and locations.
- The Ukrainians used his intelligence to hit:
- Command posts
- Troop concentrations
- Tanks and armored vehicles
- Electronic warfare and signals equipment
- By the end of his covert run, his information had helped enable the deaths of around 300 Russian soldiers.
Suspicion grows
- Russian commanders began realizing there was likely a leak.
- A brigade commander even joked that they had a “Stirlitz” in their ranks—a reference to a famous Soviet spy character.
- Stupnikov understood the danger and urged the Ukrainians to extract him.
Escape across a minefield
- Karpenko arranged an escape route: Stupnikov would walk through a minefield at night using drone guidance.
- He crossed alone, in the dark, listening for ducks near a lake that marked the Ukrainian side.
- Ukrainian soldiers met him, confirmed his identity with the password “peanut shop,” and brought him to safety.
Prisoner, then fighter again
- After crossing over, Stupnikov was initially treated as a prisoner of war.
- He was later approached by Denis Kapustin, commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC), a Russian anti-Kremlin unit fighting for Ukraine.
- Stupnikov hesitated because the RVC is associated with far-right symbolism and politics.
- But he also knew that defectors can become assassination targets, and he feared being killed if he tried to disappear.
- He ultimately joined the RVC, returning to the war on Ukraine’s side.
Why This Story Matters
A challenge to the idea of total Russian support
- The episode pushes back on the notion that the war is simply “Russia versus Ukraine.”
- Stupnikov’s story illustrates that some Russians actively resist the war, even at extreme personal risk.
The power of insider intelligence
- The story shows how a single embedded source can have an outsized impact on the battlefield.
- Stupnikov’s access turned him into a high-value intelligence asset for Ukraine.
The cost of defection
- His choice came with enormous personal consequences:
- Loss of his marriage
- Separation from his old life
- Constant risk of capture or assassination
- The episode highlights how defection is not an ending, but often the start of another dangerous chapter.
Key People Mentioned
- Lev Stupnikov — Russian army officer and covert source for Ukraine
- Tatyana Janssen — Stupnikov’s mother, who helped seek a way out for him
- Dmitry Karpenko — Ukrainian blogger/YouTuber and intermediary with Russian sources
- Lisa — Stupnikov’s wife, who did not initially join him after his defection
- Denis Kapustin — Commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC)
Notable Takeaways
- Stupnikov’s first major tip led to a devastating strike and marked the beginning of months of sabotage.
- His case suggests Ukraine’s resistance network inside Russia may be broader than many assume.
- The episode frames his actions as both military betrayal from Russia’s perspective and moral resistance from his own.
- Ultimately, Stupnikov says the war became “our war” — meaning a war he felt obligated to fight against Putin, not for him.
Bottom Line
This is a tense, deeply human spy-and-war story about a Russian officer who turned against his own military, supplied Ukraine with lethal intelligence, escaped through a minefield, and then chose to keep fighting. It’s as much about battlefield espionage as it is about conscience, loyalty, and the personal toll of war.