The suspect has confessed to hiding explosive devices in Sevastopol after receiving instructions from Kiev

 

Source: FSB of Russia

A resident of Crimea has been detained for collaborating with Ukrainian special services and assembling an improvised explosive device (IED) intended for use in a terrorist attack on the peninsula, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Tuesday.

According to the statement, the 59-year-old man from the city of Feodosia voluntarily contacted the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and offered his assistance. He was recruited by a Ukrainian intelligence officer and maintained confidential contact with him, the FSB stated.

Following instructions received via video link, the suspect allegedly retrieved explosive components from two pre-arranged hiding places and assembled the IED in his garage. The device contained over 1.2 kilograms of high explosives, an electric detonator, a homemade remote signal receiver and transmitter, and nearly 500 grams of nails to serve as shrapnel, according to the Russian security agency.

The completed bomb was then hidden in the Balaklava district of Sevastopol, and the suspect sent its coordinates to his Ukrainian contact, the FSB reported.

A video released by the FSB includes footage of the suspect’s detention and confession. He claimed that shortly after the escalation of hostilities in 2022, he contacted Ukrainian intelligence through its official website and asked how he could assist. He later retrieved multiple taped bags containing explosive materials and components, stored them in his garage, and eventually assembled the IED after receiving detailed instructions.

The footage also shows images of the explosive device and screenshots of the man’s communication with his Ukrainian handler.

The FSB stated that the incident is part of a broader pattern of sabotage activities linked to Ukrainian special services.

A criminal case of high treason and illegal acquisition or handling of explosive substances has been initiated against the suspect. The man has been placed in pre-trial detention.

The FSB’s report follows two incidents of sabotage on railway infrastructure in Russia’s Bryansk and Kursk Regions over the weekend. In Bryansk, a bridge fell in front of a moving passenger train, while in Kursk a railway bridge collapsed under a moving freight train. A total of seven people lost their lives in the attacks and 113 were injured.

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Russia’s Investigative Committee has said that it is treating the incidents as “terrorist attacks” perpetrated on the orders of the Ukrainian authorities. Investigators believe that the saboteurs likely used US-made C-4 explosives to derail the trains.