MOSCOW, August 20. /TASS/. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has detained seven people for the kidnapping attempt of one of the leaders of the Donbass people’s militia organized by Ukrainian intelligence services, the FSB Public Relations Center informed TASS.

"Russia’s FSB as a result of conducting a special operation has uncovered and intercepted the unlawful act of Ukraine’s special services of kidnapping on Russian territory and forceful transporting to Ukraine one of the leaders of the Donbass people’s militia who took active part in warfare against the Ukrainian armed forces. Immediately during the kidnapping attempt were detained Russian citizens Makarov T.B., Mishchenko M.S., Kapkayeva O.D., Kormich A.M., Pyzin M. Yu., Moroz Ye.A. and Dolgov V.V. The kidnapping was organized and coordinated by Ukrainian citizens Andrey Baydala and Igor Mishchenko." the Center reported.

According to the FSB, the kidnapping organizers were directed by the department head of Ukraine’s security services. "Baydala and Mishchenko were acting on an assignment and under general direction of Ukraine’s security service counterintelligence department head A. Rusnak and director of the 5th directorate of the counterintelligence department of Ukraine’s security service A. Poklad. Thus, Department No. 4 directly dealing with organized criminal groups on Russian territory functions as a part of the aforementioned directorate," the FSB Public Relations Center reported. In order to create an alibi for the perpetrators, the Ukrainian intelligence services have disseminated in advance in the news outlets the reports of "Baydala’s detention for illicit possession of arms." Mishchenko and Baydala have formed two assault groups consisting of members of a Russian criminal structure in order to kidnap forcefully a Russian citizen. They promised Makarov’s group $200,000 and paid an advance of $50,000. "Baydala, allegedly detained in Ukraine, was remotely personally directing both groups in real time. The organizer of the channel for the illegal forceful transport was Russian citizen Moroz Ye. A. A criminal case has been opened on the kidnapping of a person by an organized group," the Center reported.

According to the FSB, Baydala is known to the security structures and the DPR’s competent bodies as the unofficial staff member of Ukrainian security services and of the Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, as well as an authorized representative of the 5th directorate of the counterintelligence department of Ukraine’s security service under an alias of Swede. There is a number of criminal cases in the DPR opened against Baydala as an organizer of implemented and prevented terrorist acts, including the murder of Zakharchenko.

Preparation of a number of kidnappings

The FSB Public Relations Center noted that Ukrainian intelligence services were preparing several more kidnappings and murders of Russian citizens. "During active search measures it has been established that the group of Makarov and Pyzin was engaged by the Ukrainian intelligence through Baydala and Mishchenko to plot several more crimes, also involving kidnapping and murder of Russian citizens. Following the orders of the Ukrainian intelligence, members of the organized criminal group conducted surveillance of certain addresses in Russian regions and went to the DPR to fulfill a number of tasks," the Center reported.