Plot to bomb Kyiv foiled: SBU stops Russian-recruited suspect
Counterintelligence agents and investigators from the Security Service of Ukraine thwarted a terrorist attack on one of Kyiv's bustling central streets. The apprehended individual was found with a bag containing an improvised explosive device weighing approximately 15 pounds of TNT.
According to the Security Service of Ukraine, the woman had planned to plant the explosive device near a building affiliated with one of the SBU structures.
There could have been many victims
The report indicated that while special service officers are no longer stationed at this location, having been relocated to alternative workplaces during the full-scale invasion, the attack still posed a significant risk, potentially causing numerous civilian casualties among passersby in the city center.
The woman's bag contained about 15 pounds of TNT. "Such a quantity of explosive material would have been enough to cause extensive damage to the building and fatal injuries to those near the epicenter of the explosion," the statement added.
Recruited by Russian special services
According to the SBU, Russian services remotely recruited a 22-year-old drug addict from Lviv, who was searching for "quick" money on Telegram channels.
Investigators disclosed that acting on orders from the occupiers, the woman traveled to Kyiv, where her Russian handler had already rented an apartment in the city center. After settling into the temporary accommodation, she received a package via courier containing a miniature surveillance camera, which she installed on the balcony.
With remote access, Russian services could observe Kyiv's central street in real-time and intended to document the effects of the terrorist attack in this manner.
SBU officers caught the suspect in the act as she took the bag with explosives and headed to the rented apartment. During a search, a cell phone was also found on the suspect, which she used to communicate with Russian special services.
The woman faced multiple charges and was taken into custody. She could face life imprisonment and confiscation of property.
