The SSU has dismantled a group of agents of russia’s FSB who carried out reconnaissance and sabotage in Odesa oblast. Among other things, the perpetrators provided the enemy with coordinates of railway infrastructure. The aggressor intended to launch strikes on these facilities aiming to partially stop train traffic in the area.

According to the investigation, the ‘head’ of the group was an Odesa resident, a hand-to-hand and knife fighting instructor, one of the activists of the Odesa ‘Anti-Maidan’. He was in personal contact with the FSB and involved his close relative in the unlawful activity.

On the instructions of the enemy service, the agents were to photograph and send the coordinates of railway infrastructure facilities in Odesa region.

The ruscists planned to use this information to destroy these sites, which was supposed to stop the movement of trains along some of the tracks.

The FSB also involved these assets in information and subversive activities against Ukraine.

According to the investigation, the group’s ‘leader’ personally administered a group of supporters of the so-called ‘novorossiya’ in one of the social networks. There, he organized fundraising for militants of the ‘L/DNR’ terrorist organizations.

He also created and disseminated materials on the Internet calling for the seizure of power and changing the borders of Ukraine. One of the resources used for this was the novorus.info – the so-called ‘central news agency of novorossiya’.

The SSU documented the intelligence-gathering and subversive activities of the perpetrators and detained them.

During the searches of the suspects’ homes, the investigators found computer equipment, data carriers and mobile phones with evidence of the crimes.

Based on the evidence, the SSU served the head of the network a notice of suspicion under two Articles of the CCU:

• 110.2 (encroachment on Ukraine’s territorial integrity and inviolability);
• 258-3.1 (creation of a terrorist group or terrorist organization).

His relative was declared suspect under Article 114-2.2 of the CCU (unauthorized dissemination of information on transfer, movement of weapons, armaments and ammunition to Ukraine, movement, transfer or deployment of the AFU).

The investigation is ongoing.

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