The court sentenced a 30-year-old woman from Kharkiv to 12 years’ imprisonment for manufacturing and delivering a homemade explosive device for a terrorist attack, acting on the instructions of a representative of the Russian Federation. When the device was remotely detonated in the Chuhuiv district, a 15-year-old boy, who had delivered the bag containing the explosives, and a soldier of the Ukrainian National Guard were killed.
Briefly about the main points
- The court sentenced a Kharkiv resident to 12 years’ imprisonment.
- She was found guilty of aiding and abetting a terrorist attack and the unlawful handling of explosives.
- The device was handed over to a schoolboy who had been recruited, disguised as a courier parcel.
- The explosion was triggered remotely whilst the young man was meeting with a National Guard soldier.
- Following the terrorist attack, the woman began preparing another device.
The court found the woman guilty on several counts
Prosecutors from the Nemyshlyanska District and Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Offices proved her guilt in aiding and abetting a terrorist act that resulted in the loss of life. The court also found her guilty of the unlawful manufacture of an explosive device as part of a premeditated conspiracy by a group of individuals, as well as its storage and transfer.
According to the local publication Status Quo, the ruling was handed down by the Industrial District Court of Kharkiv. The publication also reported that the convicted woman was ordered to pay over 100,000 hryvnias in legal costs for expert assessments.
The explosives were prepared following instructions sent via Telegram
In January 2025, a woman began exchanging messages on Telegram with a representative of the Russian Federation and was instructed to make explosives. She purchased the necessary components, fitted a detonator and added metal nuts to increase the destructive power.
The device was fitted with two mobile phones. One was intended to enable remote activation, whilst the other was for video surveillance and delivery tracking.
The bag containing the device was delivered by a schoolboy who had been recruited
The woman put the device she had made into her sports bag and handed it to the young man she had recruited. He was to pose as a courier and deliver the «parcel» to the village in the Chuhuiv district and hand it over to the soldier.
The explosives were detonated during the meeting. Both sustained shrapnel wounds and blast injuries, from which they died at the scene. Status Quo reported that the explosion occurred in the village of Haidary at around 18:55 on 8 February 2025.
Preparations for the second device were halted by the arrest
A few days after the terrorist attack, the woman agreed to make another explosive device. She bought the components and made an electric detonator, but did not manage to complete the preparations: on 19 February 2025, she was arrested by the police.
During a search of the property, traces of chemical substances, kitchen scales with traces of explosive components and additional detonation devices were seized.
