Canadian intelligence warrant officer faces December 9 court-martial over Ukraine leaks

Key facts

• Robar is charged with lying to superior officers and improperly storing a firearm, according to CBC.
• The Canadian chief military judge's office said the court-martial is set for December 9, 2026.
• CBC reported Robar had been communicating with Ukrainian contacts before the charges.
• Canada's Department of National Defense said Robar is a member of the Canadian Forces Intelligence Command.

Master Warrant Officer Matthew Robar, a member of the Canadian Forces Intelligence Command, will face a court-martial hearing in December, the Canadian chief military judge's office told reporters on November 4. The court-martial is set for December 9, 2026.

Canada's Department of National Defense said Robar violated foreign interference laws and breached his military trust responsibilities in late 2025. Robar is also charged with lying to superior officers and improperly storing a firearm, according to CBC.

It remains unclear exactly what information Robar passed on. A CBC investigation found that Robar had been communicating with Ukrainian contacts and met with a Ukrainian representative in Lithuania in 2024.

Matt Peggs, Royal Canadian Mounted Police regional commander, said in a 2025 statement after Robar's charges were made public: "I am proud of the aligned effort to ensure national security threats are investigated in a timely manner, and those responsible are held accountable, ensuring the safety of Canadians."

The case comes as service members and citizens from multiple nations have been accused of spying for Russia during its war on Ukraine. On October 8, a Royal Navy sailor charged with passing military secrets to Russia appeared in court in London. Under the U.K.'s National Security Act 2023, junior intelligence specialist Teddy Young, 24, was charged with two offenses for allegedly trying to pass protected information to a foreign power between November 2024 and May 2025. Australian authorities charged a dual Russian-Australian citizen after he allegedly joined Ukraine's military and tried to pass information about Ukrainian forces to people linked to Russian intelligence, Australian police announced on August 21.

Canada has remained an ally of Ukraine since the full-scale invasion of 2022. On October 30, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Canada will contribute an initial 500 million euros ($559 million) to the European Union's Ukraine Support Loan.