Russia was preparing murder and terrorist attacks in the metro and large shopping centers in Kyiv – SBU

Security Service of Ukraine said about the exposure of a resident of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation who was preparing the murder of a media personality, as well as a series of terrorist attacks in the subway and major shopping and entertainment centers in Kyiv.

"The SSU prevented new attempts by the FSB to carry out a series of terrorist attacks in Kyiv. According to the case file, the enemy planned contract killings of well-known Ukrainians, bombings in a shopping center and at a metro station in the capital of Ukraine," the statement reads.

The special service notes that it acted proactively and thus disrupted Russia's plans and identified the organizer of the contract crimes – a resident of the temporarily occupied Crimea who began working for the Russian secret service after the seizure of the peninsula.

The investigation found that the man was looking for "like-minded people" to recruit them to the FSB's agent apparatus: among them were his local acquaintances who had Ukrainian citizenship and were not subject to mobilization due to their age.

For example, the SSU documented an attempt to "route" to Kyiv a Crimean resident recruited by Russians who crossed the Ukrainian border through third countries – upon arrival in the capital, the suspect received from a Crimean resident the coordinates of a cache from which he took a Makarov pistol with a loaded magazine (two magazines in the photo – Ed.).

Law enforcement officers found that the FSB had instructed the agent to carry out a contract killing of a media person in Kyiv with this weapon.

"He also received an assignment from the occupiers to prepare terrorist attacks in several Kyiv shopping centers and at a metro station. To do this, the agent received instructions on how to make improvised explosive devices (IEDs) hidden in his backpacks," the agency said.

Each explosive was to be equipped with a mobile phone to detonate it remotely during rush hour, when the most people were concentrated in these places, the SSU explained.

According to her, the occupiers planned to spread panic among Kyiv residents in order to undermine the socio-political situation in the capital.

"The Security Service exposed the agent in advance and documented all his contacts with the FSB, which took place through a resident from Crimea," the statement said.

SSU investigators served a notice of suspicion in absentia to the Crimean defendant under articles on high treason committed under martial law, a terrorist act and illegal handling of weapons, ammunition or explosives.

The maximum penalty is life imprisonment with confiscation of property.

"Since the suspect is in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine, comprehensive measures are being taken to bring him to justice," law enforcement officials said.

Meanwhile, the SSU adds, the issue of qualifying the crimes of the executing agent is being considered.

• The SSU said that military counterintelligence detained another Russian agent who spied on Ukrainian military aircraft in the west of the country.