MOSCOW, July 1. /TASS/. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) says it has detained activists who were preparing to overthrow the country’s military and political leadership and seize the Verkhovna Rada building.

The activists had been plotting a series of provocations on June 30, the SBU said on its Telegram channel. According to the Ukrainian intel service, the group planned to announce the overthrow of the incumbent government at a meeting in central Kiev and then block the work of parliament by seizing the Rada building.

The SBU also said that the detainees had been plotting to destabilize the social and political situation in Ukraine and disseminate information about the developments in Kiev, including in foreign media outlets. The plot organizers had recruited public activists from Kiev, Dnepr (formerly Dnepropetrovsk) and other regions, the SBU added.

While the SBU did not disclose how many people were detained, it said they may face up to 10 years behind bars and have their property confiscated.