The SBU and the National Police have foiled an assassination attempt which, according to the investigation, was organised by the FSB against the head of a defence company in the Kyiv region. The explosives planted in the official’s car were defused before they could be detonated. The perpetrator was arrested in Poland whilst attempting to travel to Russia via Belarus; Ukraine has already requested his extradition.
Briefly about the main points
- The target was the head of a defence company in the Kyiv region.
- The plan was to detonate the device under the driver’s seat of the car.
- The bomb contained 1 kg of hexogen, equivalent to approximately 2 kg of TNT.
- Investigators have identified the perpetrator as a pensioner who was recruited via his son in Russia.
- The suspect was arrested in Poland, and Ukraine has submitted an extradition request.
Explosives were found in the car before it was blown up
According to the SBU, the plan was to detonate a homemade explosive device under the driver’s seat of the official’s car. The SBU’s counter-intelligence unit, in conjunction with the National Police, detected and defused it before it could be activated.
The device contained 1 kg of hexogen, which is equivalent to approximately 2 kg of TNT.
The investigation described the plan for carrying out a remote detonation
The perpetrator has been identified as a 63-year-old pensioner from the Luhansk region. According to the investigation, the FSB recruited him through his son, who lives in Russia. The man retrieved the components from a hiding place, assembled the bomb and attached it to a car.
Nearby, he concealed a mobile phone with a power bank. The device was streaming video live so that the Russian side could monitor the car and remotely detonate the explosives.
Ukraine has requested the extradition of a man detained in Poland
After planting the explosives, the suspect left Ukraine and, according to the police, was planning to enter Russia via Belarus. He was arrested in Poland whilst attempting to do so.
Ukraine has submitted an extradition request to the Polish authorities. The suspect has been informed of the charges against him.
