MOSCOW, April 2. /TASS/. The discovery of explosives in a cargo of icons on the way to Moscow from Ukraine via a number of European countries testifies to terrorist methods being used by the Kiev regime, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has told the media.
"This is another alarming signal that testifies very eloquently to the terrorist methods that the Kiev regime resorts to," Peskov said. "Of course, it will be further investigated."
He avoided speculating on whether the explosives could have been planted at any point on the transit route, stressing that he had "nothing more to add to what has been officially announced by the special services and the Federal Security Service."
Earlier, the FSB said that its operatives and the Federal Customs Service in the Pskov Region blocked a channel of smuggling of explosive devices and explosives hidden inside Orthodox icons and church utensils to Russia from Ukraine through the EU countries.
As many as 27 ready-to-use improvised explosive devices disguised as icons, 70 kg of a factory-made high-power plastic explosive, 91 electric detonators, and components for an RPG-7 rocket launcher were confiscated from a cargo shipment originating in Ukraine that had passed through Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia en route to Russia.
Criminal proceedings were launched under part 2 of article 226.1 of the Criminal Code (illegal transportation of explosives and explosive devices across the border by a group of persons by prior conspiracy), which envisages a prison term of up to 10 years.