Ukraine's security service detains five suspected railway blast plotters - press center

The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) has detained a group of individuals suspected of plotting to blast a railway section in Kharkiv region, SBU's press center reported on Monday.

"SBU officers detained five members of a terrorist group, who were planning to blast a stretch of the Kyiv-Kharkiv railway," it said.

The group is led by a 45 year-old resident of Kharkiv, who had been tasked by Igor Bezler (nom de guerre Bes, or Devil), a militant leader in the town of Horlivka in Donetsk region, to blow up a train carrying artillery ammunition, SBU said.

All members of the group were detained in the act of planting explosives. Half a kilogram of TNT, electric detonators and batteries were seized. Over 1.5 kilograms of TNT, as well as firearms and ammunition, were discovered during the searches.

SBU investigators launched criminal proceedings under Article 258 (terrorism) and Article 258-3 (the creation of a terrorist group or a terrorist organization) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The suspects were taken into custody.

Chief of the Kharkiv regional security service's press center Vladyslav Abdula told Interfax-Ukraine that all those detained are residents of Kharkiv. They had been planning to blow up a railway stretch under a passing train loaded with artillery ammunition.