Law enforcement officers prevented terrorist attacks planned by Russian special services in Vinnytsia. SBU CI detained three Russian military intelligence agents who were preparing to blow up a Ukrainian serviceman’s car and a police building.
This was reported by the Security Service of Ukraine.
According to the investigation, the attackers were tasked with planting an improvised explosive device under the car of an Armed Forces soldier. The explosive was to be detonated after a call to a mobile phone built into the IED.
SBU operatives exposed the saboteurs’ intentions and detained them when they were installing a hidden camera to monitor the future explosion site.
The group consisted of two women from Kyiv region. They were recruited through pro-Russian Telegram channels that promised ‘easy money’. Upon arrival in Vinnytsia, the agents rented accommodation at the expense of their handlers and received the geolocation of the cache from which they retrieved two explosive devices.
The third member of the group, a 33-year-old local resident, was engaged in the manufacture of explosives. Following the instructions of the occupiers, he placed the explosives in thermoses and additionally stuffed them with screws.
In the event of a successful attack against the military, the group was to move on to a new target – to attack the building of the district police department.
During the searches, law enforcement officers seized two IEDs and mobile phones with evidence of cooperation with Russian intelligence.
All the detainees were served a notice of suspicion under Part 2 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – high treason committed under martial law – and taken into custody. If found guilty, they face life imprisonment with confiscation of property.