Ukraine arrests teenager accused of planning railway attack for Russian intel photo

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) thwarted a sabotage attempt targeting transport infrastructure by a 16-year-old local resident who is alleged to have acted on instructions from Russian intelligence services.

The suspect was detained by SBU counterintelligence officers in the Khmelnytskyi region, Caliber.Az reports citing Ukrainian media outlets. 

He is accused of preparing an explosion at one of the stations of Ukraine’s state railway operator, Ukrzaliznytsia.

According to investigation documents, the teenager was recruited by representatives of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) via the Telegram messenger app, where he had been looking for part-time work after being expelled from a vocational college. Acting on instructions from his handler, he surveyed several railway stations, identifying sections with the heaviest train traffic.

The young man then purchased and covertly installed a video camera with remote access near one of the stations in order to transmit data on train schedules and traffic volumes. The SBU said this information could have been used to track rail transport moving toward frontline regions.

Ukrainian authorities believe the suspect then began acquiring components to assemble an improvised explosive device, which he allegedly planned to plant near a railway infrastructure facility with the option of remote detonation.

SBU officers revealed that they detected the suspect’s activities at an early stage and managed to detain him before the plan could be carried out. During a search, investigators seized equipment for an explosive device and a mobile phone containing evidence of contacts with individuals associated with Russian intelligence.

The teenager has been formally charged with high treason and is facing the possibility of life imprisonment.

By Nazrin Sadigova