The Security Service’s Counterintelligence Department has thwarted new attempts by ruscists to orchestrate a series of terrorist attacks in Kharkiv. Following pre-emptive operations near the city, an agent of russian military intelligence (‘the GRU’) was detained while setting up caches containing improvised explosive devices.

The russian intelligence services delivered the explosives to the suspect by smuggling them into the Kharkiv region from russian territory using Molniya-type drones.

The agent planned to disguise one of the ‘parcels’ as a car battery and the other as a car tyre with a rim and send the coordinates to the GRU.

The direct executors of the terrorist attacks were then due to arrive at the caches to retrieve the IEDs and plant them at the target sites.

The SSU documented the suspect’s activities and caught him in the act while he was setting up a hiding place.

The investigation revealed that the GRU’s task was carried out by an unemployed local man recruited by the enemy. He came to russia’s attention through his pro-kremlin comments in Telegram chat rooms.

After the recruitment, the agent initially tracked the locations of Kharkiv’s defenders, against whom the aggressor state was preparing missile and air strikes.

Subsequently, the suspect was tasked with ‘meeting’ a russian drone carrying the ‘parcel’ with explosives.

Over 4 kg of explosives, three electric detonators and a bomb disguised as a car battery were seized during the search of the suspect’s car.

SSU investigators have notified the detainee of his status as a suspect under Article 111.2 of the CCU (high treason, committed under martial law).

The suspect is in custody without bail and faces life imprisonment with confiscation of property.

The decision whether to additionally charge him with preparing a terrorist attack and the unlawful possession of explosive substances and devices is pending.

The operation was carried out by the SSU Office in the Kharkiv region under the procedural supervision of the regional Prosecutor’s Office.