MOSCOW, March 3. /TASS/. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has thwarted a plotted terrorist attack on an industrial facility CEO in the Sverdlovsk Region; a Ukrainian handler remotely detonated an explosive device, killing the attacker in Yekaterinburg, the press office reported.
"The Yekaterinburg branch of the FSB thwarted a terrorist attack, plotted by a Russian citizen born in 1985 on the Ukrainian special services’ instructions," the statement said.
According to the FSB, the attack was supposed to be carried out against a Sverdlovsk Region industrial facility CEO. During the perpetrator's detention, he had already possessed an explosive device from a cache to blow up the CEO's car. "A Ukrainian handler remotely blew up the explosive device, killing the perpetrator," the press office noted.
The Russian Federal Security Service revealed that the Ukrainian handler had previously sent the Russian citizen a fake passport and information about the target's place of residence, as well as two homemade explosive devices.
The press office noted that neither the FSB employees who tried to detain the perpetrator nor the civilian population were harmed during the detonation.
During the inspection of the incident site, the Federal Security Service found a second explosive device, camouflaged as a power bank, containing 300 grams of plastic explosives, a foreign-made electric detonator, an activation mechanism, and a smartphone with instructions from the Ukrainian handler as well as a fake Russian passport.
Investigators have launched a criminal case under Articles 30 and 205 of the Russian Criminal Code (Preparations for a terrorist act).
FSB warning
In this regard, the FSB once again warned citizens that Ukrainian special services are actively searching for potential perpetrators of terrorist and sabotage acts.
"The Ukrainian special services and nationalist groups are using Russian citizens as suicide bombers to carry out sabotage and terrorist acts. This allows them to eliminate unwanted witnesses without paying the promised reward," the FSB press office emphasized.