A Canadian military counterintelligence officer, accused of sharing sensitive information with a foreign entity, reportedly engaged in discussions with a Ukrainian representative, as revealed by CBC News sources. The situation has created division within the defense intelligence and security community.
Master Warrant Officer Matthew Robar is facing eight charges under the National Defence Act and the Security of Information Act, including the transmission of “special operational information” to a foreign entity. Following a joint investigation by military police and the RCMP, he was arrested last week and subsequently released from custody under certain conditions after a hearing before a military judge on Monday.
The Department of National Defence has declined to disclose the identity of the party Robar was in communication with and the context of their discussions. However, information from sources, as reported by The Globe and Mail and confirmed by CBC News, suggests that the country involved was Ukraine.
Allegedly, Robar was introduced to a Ukrainian representative in May 2024 by a Canadian official, initiating conversations regarding potential Canadian support in the information domain. These interactions culminated in a meeting between Robar and the representative in Lithuania in September 2024.
Subsequently, Robar was suspended from duty the following month, leading to an internal investigation within his unit at Canadian Forces Intelligence Command. This development occurred amid increased intelligence and defense collaboration between Canada and Ukraine, highlighted by a recent agreement aimed at enhancing information sharing on defense and security matters between the two nations.
The exact nature of the information Robar allegedly passed to the Ukrainians remains undisclosed. Notably, the military prosecutor and defense counsel emphasized during Monday’s custody hearing that the accusations against Robar do not reach the severity of the espionage case involving former naval intelligence officer Jeffrey Delisle, who was convicted of passing secrets to Russia.
The complaint that triggered the national security investigation against Robar reportedly originated from another unit within Canada’s military intelligence community. Two simultaneous investigations into Robar were launched in November 2024, one by military police and the other by the intelligence command, a scenario considered uncommon but not unprecedented according to military legal experts.
Despite the ongoing grievance process over a reprimand issued to Robar following the internal investigation by his unit, the situation continues to unfold, with investigations progressing in parallel to shed light on the allegations against the military member.