MOSCOW, April 14. /TASS/. The Federal Security Service (FSB), in coordination with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Investigative Committee, detained seven people suspected of committing arson at energy, transport, and communications infrastructure and on vehicles of law enforcement officers in five regions of Russia, the FSB press office reported.
"The Federal Security Service, in cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Investigative Committee of Russia, curtailed the activities of two foreign nationals born in 2006 and five Russian citizens born between 1994 and 2010 suspected of arson attacks on transport, communications, and energy infrastructure and on law enforcement vehicles, allegedly on orders from Ukrainian special services for payment, in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Krasnoyarsk, Kirov, Leningrad, and Rostov regions," the press office reported.
Investigators established that the suspects were recruited through Telegram channels offering "quick earnings" recently.
Investigative bodies initiated criminal cases against them under Part 2 of Article 281 (Sabotage) and Part 1 of Article 205 (Terrorist Act) of the Russian Criminal Code, which carry penalties of up to 20 years in prison. "The FSB of Russia once again stresses that Ukrainian special services are actively recruiting citizens into criminal activity by promising substantial payouts which, in reality, are either unpaid or do not exceed 30,000 rubles [$397]. The pursuit of 'easy money' leads to criminal liability for grave and especially grave crimes, punishable by up to life imprisonment," the FSB press office added.
Russian Interior Ministry Spokeswoman Irina Volk noted minors are among those detained. "Courts convicted accomplices of Ukrainian special services in the Krasnodar Region for arson on transport infrastructure and in the Nizhny Novgorod Region for plotting to blow up trains. They were found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment for terms ranging from 12 to 15 years for these crimes," she said.