Ukraine foils multiple terror plots across major cities PHOTO

Ukrainian counterintelligence authorities have foiled a planned series of terror attacks in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Uman and Odesa, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has announced.

A Russian military intelligence (GRU) operative, who had been preparing caches of explosives, was detained during the operation, Caliber.Az reports.

According to the SBU, the GRU handlers intended to use improvised explosive devices (IEDs), assembled by the agent, to target military vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Investigations revealed that the operation was carried out by a 55-year-old former law enforcement officer from Odesa Oblast, who came under the attention of Russian intelligence after posting anti-Ukrainian comments on social media.

Following his recruitment, he received coordinates for secret storage locations from his handlers, where he collected materials to assemble three IEDs using plastic explosives with electric detonators, as well as two anti-personnel mines.

The devices were equipped with remote detonators and placed in new caches indicated by the GRU operatives. Most of these locations were on the outskirts of the targeted cities, away from residential areas.

Other members of the Russian network were expected to retrieve the explosives from the caches and plant them under military vehicles.

The SBU confirmed that all explosives and other hazardous materials found in the caches were safely recovered and neutralised.

The suspect was arrested during the final stage of the operation, with additional homemade explosives and components discovered during searches. He has been charged under multiple articles of the Ukrainian Criminal Code and faces life imprisonment with confiscation of property.

By Aghakazim Guliyev