Counterintelligence of the Security Service and the National Police have prevented a series of terrorist attacks in Ukraine and the European Union.
As a result of the special operation in various regions of our country, an FSB espionage group preparing arson attacks in places with large crowds has been neutralized.
The main targets of the enemy were shopping centers, gas stations, pharmacies, and markets in Ukraine, Poland, and the Baltic countries.
During the complex operations in the Prykarpattia region, the organizer of the hostile cell and his accomplice were arrested. The perpetrators acted as part of a criminal organization, the activities of which were remotely coordinated by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).
The criminal group consisted of 19 individuals who were scattered across Ivano-Frankivsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava regions, and Zaporizhzhia.
According to the investigation, the suspects recruited candidates for arson of civilian facilities in exchange for money. They used personal connections in criminal circles to find potential perpetrators.
To 'send' the recruited arsonists abroad, the suspects prepared forged documents for them, including passports, driver’s licenses, educational diplomas, and medical records, issued in the names of third parties.
In this way, the Russian agency planned to illegally transport its accomplices beyond Ukraine and 'legalize' them within the EU.
After committing the arsons, the perpetrators were supposed to film the burning objects with their phones to report back to the FSB.
The media files were intended to be used for preparing special information operations aimed at destabilizing the socio-political situation in the EU.
During 37 searches of residences, vehicles, and garages of the suspects, the following items were seized:
- Mobile phones, flash drives, notes, and forged documents used in subversive activities;
- AK assault rifles, pistols, including a Glock 19 with ammunition and silencers;
- Bank cards and large sums of cash used to recruit potential arsonists.
Investigative actions and operational measures are ongoing to hold all guilty parties accountable. The perpetrators face life imprisonment.
