MOSCOW, August 4. /TASS/. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) officers have detained two Russians in Sevastopol, who were preparing terrorist attacks under the instructions of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, the FSB press service said.
The press service added that the detainees were to carry out a terrorist attack "against the head of a newly incorporated region" during his stay in Russia’s Republic of Crimea.
TASS has compiled the main information available at the moment.
Detention
- In Sevastopol, security officers have detained Russian citizens born in 1992 and 1999, who conducted sabotage and terrorist activities in the Republic of Crimea under the instructions of Ukrainian intelligence services, the FSB press service reported.
- The FSB said that "after they had learned how to employ improvised explosive devices, a handler instructed them to carry out terrorist attacks against regional critical infrastructural targets and the head of a newly incorporated region during his stay on the peninsula."
- They also planned to join a Ukrainian terrorist organization banned in Russia.
- A Ukrainian intelligence officer recruited the suspects through the Telegram messenger.
- Under his instructions, at the first stage of their secret cooperation, they gathered intelligence data on Russian troops in Crimea.
Investigation
- The Crimea and Sevastopol regional branch of the Russian Investigative Committee has initiated a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 30, Part 2 of Article 205 (preparing a terrorist attack), Article 205.3 (training to carry out terrorist activities), Part 2 of Article 205.4 (participating in the activities of a terrorist organization), Part 3 of Article 222.1 (trafficking in explosives or explosive devices) and Article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code (treason).
- The detainees are actively cooperating with investigators and confess to their crimes, the press service noted.
- They admitted that they were supposed to photograph an air defense system and carry out explosions to destabilize the situation in the region, according to a video with their testimony published by the FSB.
- According to the suspect, a Ukrainian intelligence officer contacted him via Telegram, presenting himself as an officer of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry.
- The detainee reported that he conducted reconnaissance and took photographs of military and civilian facilities.
- According to the man, he needed help with taking photographs, and his friend agreed to help him.
- He said that they were to photograph an air defense system, to check whether it was protected or freely accessible.
- According to the other suspect, they failed to find any air defense systems.
- He also said that his friend suggested leaving a briefcase, containing an improvised explosive device, with him.
- Moreover, one of the suspects had a mission to pick up three FPV drones carrying explosives, assemble them, connect them to a modem and deliver them to certain sites.
- According to the man, the handler gave him the coordinates of a cache in Sevastopol, where he went to retrieve the drones at night.
- The Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry provided payment to the agents.
- Under another task, the men had to find the Simferopol city sign and change it to Ukrainian.
- During searches, security officers found three FPV drones equipped with payloads containing 350 grams of plastic explosives each, as well as an improvised explosive device carrying 800 grams of explosives.
- The suspects were detained for two months, the press service of the Crimea and Sevastopol regional branch of the Russian Investigative Committee told TASS.