The Security Service of Ukraine has detained a student from a local university in the Poltava region who, according to the investigation, was planning the murder of the commander of one of the region’s military units on behalf of Russia. Counter-intelligence officers apprehended the suspect whilst he was attempting to set fire to a lorry. The man has been charged under several sections of the Criminal Code and is currently in custody.
Briefly about the main points
- The suspect was arrested whilst attempting to set fire to a lorry.
- Investigators believe that he was planning to remotely detonate a bomb to kill the commander.
- According to the SBU, the device was fitted with a mobile phone for activation.
- During the search, explosives, drugs and a smartphone were seized.
- The SBU states that the offence is punishable by up to 12 years’ imprisonment.
How, according to the investigation, the assassination attempt was planned
Pros. data The SBU and Russian security services recruited the suspect whilst he was looking for «easy» money on Telegram. Following instructions from his handler in Russia, he constructed a homemade explosive device and fitted it with a mobile phone to which Russian security service officers had remote access.
The investigation alleges that the man was then to establish the commander’s daily routine and travel routes. He then planned to plant explosives and detonate them remotely when the official approached a specific location.
Setting fire to the lorry became a separate task
Whilst planning the assassination attempt, the suspect agreed to carry out another task — to set fire to a lorry, the SBU reported. To this end, he purchased a highly flammable mixture and had agreed in advance with his handler to destroy the vehicle.
Security service officers caught him red-handed whilst attempting to set fire to the building. The operation was carried out by the SBU office in the Poltava region under the procedural supervision of the regional prosecutor’s office.
Suspicion, seized items and a precautionary measure
During a search, an explosive device prepared for a terrorist attack, drugs and a smartphone containing evidence of his work for the Russian security services were seized from the detainee, the SBU stated.
Investigators have charged him under sections relating to the preparation of a terrorist attack, the unlawful manufacture of and handling of explosive substances, an attempted arson offence, and a drug-related offence. The suspect is in custody. According to the SBU, he faces up to 12 years’ imprisonment with confiscation of property.
