MOSCOW, May 25. /TASS/. On the eve of May 9, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) thwarted an attempt by Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service to commit sabotage on two nuclear power plants in northwest Russia’s regions, the FSB told TASS on Thursday.
"The FSB thwarted a terrorist attack on nuclear facilities plotted by Ukraine’s special services. On the eve of the 78th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, a sabotage group of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service attempted to blow up more than 30 supports for high-voltage power lines at the Leningradskaya and Kalininskaya nuclear power plants (in the Leningrad and Tver regions - TASS) which, by the design of the Ukrainian intelligence, would have caused a halt to nuclear power reactors, disrupted the normal operation of the NPPs and inflicted a major economic and reputational damage to the Russian Federation," the FSB specified.
The terrorists, however, succeeded in blowing up one support and mining four others at the Leningradskaya NPP and placed homemade explosive devices under seven supports for high-voltage power lines at the Kalininskaya NPP, the Federal Security Service added.
According to the FSB, two Ukrainian members of the group, born in 1978 and 1974, were detained. They were recruited last September and trained in camps in Ukraine’s Kiev and Nikolayev regions. A third Ukrainian national, born in 1963, who is currently staying in Belgium, was put on the wanted list, the FSB specified.
"Also, two Russian accomplices, who assisted [the terrorists] in providing them with communication devices and vehicles with fake license plates, were identified and detained," the FSB reported.
A criminal case has been opened against the saboteurs. The detainees are in custody now. They are giving confessions about cooperation with the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.