Russia’s Federal Security Service said it detained a 23-year-old Russian citizen in St. Petersburg on 3 July after she was allegedly caught on surveillance video placing an improvised explosive device beneath the car of an employee of a defense enterprise. The agency claims she was acting on instructions from Ukrainian intelligence and expected help obtaining European Union citizenship. She is being held on terrorism, treason and explosives-related charges. The arrest caps a series of detentions announced by the FSB over the past week involving suspected collaborators with Kyiv. On 26 June, a St. Petersburg resident was taken into custody for collecting addresses and vehicle details of Russian military personnel. Two days later, separate operations in Crimea and Melitopol led to the apprehension of individuals accused of passing information on troop deployments, transport infrastructure and patient records to Ukraine’s Security Service. The FSB also reported detaining two Crimean residents on 30 June for transmitting data on critical infrastructure and military equipment via Telegram, and three Zaporozhye residents on 2 July for allegedly funneling money to the Ukrainian armed forces and intelligence services. Authorities said the cases illustrate continued efforts by Ukrainian agencies to recruit Russians for sabotage and reconnaissance inside the country.
Russian FSB agents arrested a 23-year-old woman in St. Petersburg for allegedly attempting to bomb a defense employee’s car on behalf of Ukrainian intelligence, reportedly in return for EU citizenship. Surveillance footage captured her planting the device. She’s now charged with https://t.co/edfKZiSktM
The FSB arrested a 23-year-old woman in St. Petersburg for planting a bomb under a defense worker’s car, allegedly for Ukrainian intelligence in exchange for EU citizenship. Video shows her placing the device. She faces terrorism and treason charges. https://t.co/fRbIKcswuO
The Russian FSB arrested a 23-year-old woman in St. Petersburg for trying to bomb a defense worker’s car, allegedly for Ukrainian intelligence in exchange for EU citizenship. Footage shows she putting a device under the vehicle, and later being arrested. She faces terrorism and