Counterintelligence officers of the Security Service of Ukraine prevented another terrorist attack that Russia had planned in Zaporizhzhia. As a result of preemptive actions, a Russian agent was detained while preparing an improvised explosive device (IED) in the city center.
The investigation established that the suspect intended to place the explosives near a location with a high concentration of people and report back to his Russian handler. The Russian forces planned to remotely detonate the IED during rush hour, when the area would be crowded with local residents.
SSU officers detected the hostile intentions in advance and arrested the agent while he was preparing the explosives for the attack.
According to the case materials, the suspect is a 37-year-old mobilized soldier from the frontline city of Myrnohrad in Donetsk region, who had abandoned his military unit and was hiding in Kyiv.
While in hiding, he sought “easy earnings” through Telegram channels, which brought him to the attention of Russian intelligence officers. After being recruited, the offender received a “test” task from his handler: to track the coordinates of checkpoints and the permanent locations of Ukrainian Defense Forces in Kyiv.
Later, the Russian forces sent him to Zaporizhzhia, where he rented an apartment and purchased components to make the IED. During searches of his residence, SSU officers discovered explosive materials and a small camera that he intended to set up near the planned attack site to record its consequences.
The offender remains in custody without the right to bail. He faces life imprisonment with property confiscation.
