Ukraine jails Russian intelligence agents over Kyiv terror plot

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) says two Ukrainian nationals recruited by Russia’s military intelligence agency have been sentenced to 15 years in prison for preparing a terrorist attack in Kyiv.

In a statement on January 26, the SBU said the defendants had planned to carry out an explosion in a crowded area of the capital with the aim of causing panic among civilians, Caliber.Az reports via Ukrainian media.

Investigators said the suspects acted on instructions from a Russian handler, purchasing components to assemble a detonator which was intended to be connected to explosives stored in a concealed location.

The pair — a 20-year-old woman from Zaporizhzhia and her 26-year-old partner — were first detected by security services after responding to offers of “easy money” advertised on Telegram channels, according to the SBU.

Before their arrest, the authorities say they carried out several arson attacks targeting vehicles belonging to Ukraine’s armed forces.

Officers from the SBU and the National Police detained the suspects while they were carrying out what investigators described as a “test task”. Searches uncovered detonator components and other evidence linking them to their Russian supervisor.

A Ukrainian court found both individuals guilty of treason and of obstructing the lawful activities of the armed forces. Their sentences include the confiscation of property.

By Aghakazim Guliyev