The SSU has collected a substantial evidence base on an officer of russian intelligence who plotted a terrorist attack in downtown Kyiv in 2014 and organized the explosion of a ‘jar of honey’ at an AFU checkpoint near Luhansk in 2015.

The suspect is major Konstantin Maslyanko, callsign ‘Mexican’, an officer of one of russia’s most secretive intelligence services, the special operations forces of russia’s MoD.

With the start of the Anti-Terrorist Operation in eastern Ukraine, he arrived in the temporarily occupied Luhansk to form sabotage and reconnaissance groups and use them against Ukraine.

The man acted under the direction of the commander of the russian special operations forces Valery Fliustikov and putin’s former bodyguard Alexei Diumin, the then SOF commander.

It was on their instructions that Maslyanko recruited a woman from Luhansk who was to carry out a bomb attack in Kyiv’s centre. He equipped her with an explosive device, prepared a cover story and organized her trip to the capital.

However, the SSU exposed the terrorist and detained her in late 2014 near a metro station in Kyiv, where she was trying to leave a bag with 3 kg of TNT and an electric detonator.

The SSU also established the involvement of ‘Mexican’ and his unit in the organization of the terrorist attack in Stanytsa Luhanska in 2015.

Then, a local resident was recruited to deliver a three-litre jar of honey containing explosives to an AFU checkpoint.

The explosion killed a Ukrainian soldier and injured two others. Subsequently, the SSU detained the perpetrator and collected sufficient evidence to ensure a real prison sentence.

According to available data, after the start of russia’s full-scale invasion, ‘Mexican’ continued to be involved in reconnaissance and sabotage activities against Ukraine and is currently in the temporarily occupied part of our country.

Based on the evidence, SSU investigators served Maslyanko a notice of suspicion under the Articles of the CCU:

• 15.3 and 258.2 (completed attempted terrorist attack, upon prior conspiracy by a group of persons);
• 263.1 (illegal possession and transfer of an explosive device).

Comprehensive measures are underway to bring the suspect to prosecution for crimes against Ukraine.

In September this year, the SSU identified the entire command staff and key employees of the russian special operations forces who committed high-profile sabotage in Ukraine and the EU.

The investigation was carried out by the SSU Office in Donetsk and Luhansk regions under the procedural supervision of Luhansk Region Prosecutor’s Office.