Military counterintelligence of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has thwarted a series of terrorist attacks by Russian special services in the Kharkiv region, detaining two Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) agents who were preparing the assassination of Ukrainian servicemen.
"Both agents were recruited by the enemy remotely through Telegram channels looking for ‘easy earnings.’ Having agreed to cooperate with Russia, they initially performed test tasks: taking photo and video recordings of certain objects, and also set fire to a Defense Forces vehicle," the SBU reported on its Telegram channel on Monday.
Subsequently, according to the Ukrainian security service, the enemy involved the agents in an attempt to kill Defense Forces soldiers during a "charity" party actually organized by Russian special services.
"To lure Ukrainian servicemen to the ‘thematic event,’ these suspects rented a house outside the city and posted party invitations in a number of local Telegram channels," the agency emphasized.
According to the enemy’s plan, during the event the agents were to add potent substances to drinks, the consumption of which leads to lethal consequences.
"It has been established that several dozen people agreed to attend the party, most of whom are representatives of the Defense Forces," the report states.
The SBU clarified that in parallel, the suspects received a task from their handler to manufacture a powerful bomb with a 10-kilogram explosive payload.
SBU military counterintelligence acted proactively and detained one of the suspects while he was carrying an improvised explosive device in his backpack. The other agent, a resident of the Kharkiv region, was detained in the rented house where she was synthesizing components for the bomb.
During searches of the suspects, components for the improvised explosive device were seized, along with phones containing evidence of working for the enemy, specifically instructions from the Russian handler regarding other reconnaissance and sabotage tasks.
The detainees have been served notices of suspicion in accordance with their crimes under the following articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine: Part 1, Article 14, and Part 2, Article 258 (terrorist act); Part 1, Article 263 (illegal handling of weapons, ammunition, or explosives).
The suspects have been chosen a preventive measure in the form of detention without the right to bail. The suspects face life imprisonment.
The measures were carried out jointly with investigators of the SBU Kharkiv Office under the procedural guidance of the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office, and with the assistance of the Department of Strategic Investigations of the National Police.
