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They wanted to kill dozens of soldiers at a ‘party’ by slipping poison into their drinks. The SBU has detained the suspects in connection with an attempted terrorist attack

They wanted to kill dozens of soldiers at a ‘party’ by slipping poison into their drinks. The SBU has detained the suspects in connection with an attempted terrorist attack

Dmytro Finashyn Advisor to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine

27 July 2026, 17:30

They wanted to kill dozens of soldiers at a ‘party’ by slipping poison into their drinks. The SBU has detained the suspects in connection with an attempted terrorist attack — Law enforcement officers during the arrest of two suspects in connection with an attempted terrorist attack in the Kharkiv region

In the Kharkiv region, law enforcement officers have detained a man and a woman suspected of attempting a terrorist attack. According to the investigation, they were planning to kill several dozen Ukrainian soldiers at a ‘charity party’.

This was reported by the SBU.

According to the case file, the Russians recruited the suspects via Telegram channels, where they were looking for ‘easy’ money. Initially, they carried out test tasks: secretly photographing and filming certain targets, as well as setting fire to a Defence Forces vehicle.

Subsequently, representatives of the Russian FSB instructed them to kill military personnel. To this end, the suspects rented a country house and sent out invitations via local Telegram channels to a fictitious ‘charity party’, according to the SBU.

Investigators established that several dozen people had agreed to attend the event, the majority of whom were Ukrainian defenders. According to the plan devised by the Russian special services, during the party the suspects were to slip potent substances into the drinks that would cause death.

“At the same time, the suspects were tasked by their handler with manufacturing a powerful bomb containing 10 kilograms of explosive,” the statement reads.

The SBU detained the man just as he was carrying the explosives in his rucksack. His accomplice was detained in a rented house whilst synthesising components for the bomb.

During searches, investigators seized parts of the explosive device and mobile phones containing what is believed to be evidence of correspondence with Russian handlers.

Law enforcement officers informed the suspects that they were under suspicion under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:

Article 14(1) and Article 258(1) — preparation for a terrorist act;
Part 1 of Article 263 — unlawful handling of explosive substances.

The court has already remanded the suspects in custody without the right to bail. If found guilty, they face life imprisonment.

As a reminder, the SBU and the prosecutor’s office previously reported the arrest of two suspects accused of treason in the Poltava region.

Crime

The SSU and the Public Prosecutor’s Office have reported the arrest of two suspects accused of treason in the Poltava region

In Poltava, law enforcement officers have detained two local residents suspected of collaborating with the Russian security services. According to the investigation, they were gathering information on military installations, units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and energy infrastructure.