A Russian agent who was planning explosions near government buildings has been arrested in Kharkiv
According to the investigation, the suspect was to have manufactured homemade explosive devices and planted them near administrative buildings in a town near the front line.
Russian intelligence services planned to remotely detonate the explosives during rush hour using calls to mobile phones fitted with the devices.
Law enforcement officers arrested the suspect in a rented flat whilst he was manufacturing the explosive devices.
The case file states that the perpetrator was an 18-year-old drug addict who had been recruited via a Telegram channel offering quick money. Following instructions from a handler in Russia, he purchased the necessary components and began manufacturing the explosives.
During a search of the premises, 2.5 litres of chemical liquid, electrical components for detonation, and a smartphone containing evidence of communication with Russian special services were seized.
Investigators from the Security Service of Ukraine have charged him under Part 1 of Article 14, Part 5 of Article 27, and Part 2 of Article 258 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The suspect is in custody. He faces up to 12 years’ imprisonment with confiscation of property.
The operation was carried out by SSU officers in the Kharkiv region in conjunction with the National Police, under the procedural supervision of the regional prosecutor’s office.
