As a result of a special operation, the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) detained an agent of Russian military intelligence who tried to blow up a post office in the centre of Zaporizhzhia.
SSU detained a Russian agent
It was established that the suspect made a remote-controlled explosive device in his apartment to commit the crime. He received the instructions from the Russian secret service.
The man hid the ready-made device in fruit boxes to send them to the cargo department of one of the postal operators.
For the conspiracy, the attacker planned to deliver the "parcel" to the destination via a private carrier.
After receiving a notification about the delivery of the "order" to the post office, the person involved had to activate the explosives with the help of a phone call, the SSU said.
According to the SSU, the Russian invaders expected that blowing up the post office would lead to numerous casualties among the civilian population and spread panic in the front-line city.
SSU exposed the suspect even at the stage of preparation for the terrorist attack. This made it possible to document his criminal actions step by step, to "intercept" a shipment with explosives, and to arrest the perpetrator.
A resident turned out to be an enemy accomplice. In early 2023, he was recruited remotely by a staff member of the 316th Intelligence Center of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, known as the GRU. The message says the latter's identity has also already been established.
the Russian secret service involved an acquaintance of a resident from the temporarily captured part of the region to involve the man in tacit cooperation.
In the future, the enemy agent received a binding assignment to commit a terrorist attack, as well as instructions and money for the manufacture of explosives. They communicated with each other through a popular messenger.
What was found out during the investigation
During the investigation, it became clear that an additional task of the Russian agent was to identify places of AFU mass personnel and equipment concentration.
The collected information was to be transferred by the enemy accomplice to the aggressor in order to prepare sabotage against the Defence Forces or carry out airstrikes on their locations.
The Russian invaders promised its agent a boundary reward in case of detonation and performance of other hostile tasks.
During the search of the house and car of the suspect, law enforcement officers seized items and components for creating an improvised explosive device. Computer equipment and mobile phones with evidence of criminal activities were also found.
The investigators declared the Russian agent a suspect. He is accused of committing the crimes provided for in Chapter 2 of Article 28, Chapter 2 of Article 111 (treason committed under martial law by a prior conspiracy by a group of persons) and Chapter 1 of Article 14, Chapter 2 of Article 258 (preparation to commit a terrorist act) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The detainee is in custody. He faces life imprisonment.
