According to a statement by the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's office, an investigation by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) intelligence agency found the younger man, a 24-year-old who was expelled from a Ukrainian university in 2023 for academic failure, remained in Ukraine and attempted to recruit a Ukrainian national who worked on the development of the "Neptune" guided missile system, reported CBS News.

"It was established that the foreigner was collecting and was supposed to transfer to his father, who has close ties with the security agencies and the General Staff of China, documentation about the Neptune missile system," the government said in its statement, calling the missiles "a unique weapon of the Defense Forces of Ukraine" that was used in a hallmark attack on Russia's navy in 2022.

The SBU told the news channel that the Chinese man's father entered Ukraine earlier this week to "personally coordinate his son's spy work."

The identities of the men have not been revealed.

The father visited the Chinese Embassy in Kyiv a day before he was detained, the statement said.

UN warns of record civilian casualties in Ukraine

UN agencies on Thursday warned of devastating recent attacks across Ukraine due to Russian strikes, record civilian casualties recorded last month – and growing deprivation facing children under fire across the country.

Russian forces launched an attack overnight focused on Kyiv, deploying 397 Shahed unmanned attack and decoy drones, along with 18 high-powered missiles, killing two and injuring at least 16, according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU).

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric noted during his daily briefing in New York that four Kyiv districts were hit, damaging residential buildings, a clinic and a TV station, while an outpatient clinic was destroyed during the bombardment.

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Mr. Dujarric also relayed reports from local authorities of recent attacks in other regions which left more than nine dead and at least ten civilians injured.

Grim June record

These attacks come after June saw the highest monthly civilian casualty count in Ukraine since the Russian invastion began in February 2022, with 232 people killed and 1,343 injured.

This data reflects a worsening trend: 6,754 civilians were killed or injured in the first half of 2025 – a sharp 54 per cent rise compared to the same period in 2024, when 4,381 civilian casualties were documented.

This breaks down to a 17 per cent increase in civilian deaths and a 64 per cent increase in injuries.

Russia’s increased use of long-range missiles and drones in urban areas – and their enhanced destructive power – were key drivers behind the spike in casualties.

The growing number of attacks also played a crucial role, as Russia launched ten times more missile and unmanned drone strikes in June 2025 than in June 2024.

“Civilians across Ukraine are facing levels of suffering we have not seen in over three years,” said Danielle Bell, Head of HRMMU. “The surge in long-range missile and drone strikes across the country has brought even more death and destruction to civilians far from the frontline.”

Child suffering intensifies

Also on Thursday, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that an estimated 70 per cent of children in Ukraine (3.5 million) are experiencing “material deprivation” – up from 18 per cent in 2021.