Investigators said the woman assembled an improvised
explosive device, hid it in a backpack and planned to deliver it to the site of
the intended blast. Russian handlers planned to detonate the device using a
mobile phone.
SBU officers detained the agent in Dnipro “caught in the
act” as she prepared the explosive device in a rented apartment and waited for
instructions from her handler on where to place it.
The investigation found that the suspect, a drug-dependent
woman from Zhytomyr Oblast, had been recruited by Russian operatives through a
Telegram channel advertising “easy money.”
During searches, authorities seized explosives and a
smartphone containing evidence of her coordination with Russian operatives.
She has been notified of suspicion under Part 1 of Article
14 and Part 2 of Article 258 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code (preparation of a
terrorist act). She faces up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of
property.