A Canadian military counter-intelligence operative accused of sharing sensitive information with Ukraine was repeatedly warned to cut off contact with a foreign intelligence representative and later misled his superiors about those interactions, according to military court records.
Master Warrant Officer Matthew Robar faces eight charges under the National Defence Act and the Security of Information Act, including allegations that he communicated “special operational information” to a foreign entity. The allegations are contained in an unclassified court filing submitted ahead of a court martial and have not been proven in court.
The documents allege Robar was never authorized to meet with or use the foreign intelligence representative as a confidential source, despite being cautioned multiple times to avoid contact. Prosecutors further claim he disclosed the identity of another Canadian intelligence officer involved in covert operations and shared Canada’s intelligence assessment of the individual he was allegedly dealing with.
While the court records do not name the country involved, sources confirm through confidential sources that it is Ukraine, a key Canadian ally. The foreign intelligence agency and representative are not identified in the filing.
According to the records, Robar — a veteran intelligence operative who previously taught at the Canadian Forces School of Military Intelligence in Kingston, Ont. — attempted to cultivate a direct relationship with Ukraine’s defence intelligence service and even discussed the possibility of working for them.
The filing states that Robar was initially introduced to the foreign intelligence representative by a Canadian official while examining several issues related to the Canadian Armed Forces. The two subsequently discussed an unspecified “unconventional” project that the foreign country hoped would attract allied funding and support.
Robar allegedly sought approval and funding to pursue the project but was denied. Despite this, prosecutors say he continued to pursue the initiative, with witnesses telling investigators he became “obsessed” with it.
In late September 2024, Robar is alleged to have met the Ukrainian intelligence representative in Lithuania. One other Canadian military member was present and reportedly believed the trip had been authorized, though the court records say it was not.
The documents allege Robar later told a superior officer that his wife, a member of Canada’s foreign service, accompanied him to the meeting. Investigators now believe that claim was false and made to downplay the seriousness of the interaction.
That same month, Robar was warned again by a Canadian officer about dealing with the Ukrainian representative. During that warning, the officer disclosed an intelligence assessment of the representative — information Robar is alleged to have improperly shared.
After his return from Europe, Robar was confronted by superiors who had learned of the clandestine discussions. He was ordered to submit written reports detailing each interaction, but investigators later concluded those reports contained false statements.
Robar was temporarily relieved of duty in October 2024. Shortly afterward, the foreign intelligence representative allegedly sent an email of complaint to a Canadian diplomat, threatening to expose the situation.
A transcript from Robar’s custody hearing earlier this week shows both prosecution and defence agreed the case does not rise to the level of the 2012 Jeffrey Delisle espionage scandal, in which a Canadian naval intelligence officer passed secrets to Russia and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Robar is expected to face court martial in the new year. If convicted, the security-of-information charges carry the possibility of life imprisonment.
