The SBU detained members of an organized criminal group who made explosive devices at home. They sold weapons and ammunition on the eve of Defender of Ukraine Day.

The operatives established that the group included a criminal, a serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and a former member of a volunteer battalion. The mastermind was a native of Zhytomyr region. He was manafing a criminal group while in custody in Kyiv and Cherkasy pre-trial detention centers for suspicion of robbery. He searched for clients via personal connections in criminal circles.

The law enforcement conducted 7 controlled buys, during which they documented the facts of the sale of small arms and explosive devices by criminals. In particular, in Kyiv city, a group member sold a three-liter tank with an improvised explosive device equipped with an electric detonator. Moreover, he sold 17 cigarettes with Hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD), which is a highly explosive substance and is much more dangerous than TNT. This substance leaves no traces, and the components for its manufacture are in free access. Thus, this explosive is so popular with terrorists.

In Zhytomyr, the criminals transferred 4 kilos of explosives to the customer via cache. The offenders also sold explosive based on ammonium nitrate weighing more than 6 kilograms.

In Lviv region, law enforcement officers seized F-1 grenade and two improvised explosive devices, the so-called Khatabka, from one of the cache. In a park of Kyiv region another bunch of 8 cigarettes with HMTD was exposed.

The SBU also documented an attempt to sell four anti-tank rocket-propelled grenades, 3 Kalashnikov assault rifles and two submachine guns.

We recall that in August 2019, SBU operatives detained a Russian chemist who was planning a sabotage at the military airfield of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Cherkasy region. He possessed explosives based on HMTD and disguised it under a pack of cigarettes.

On October 13, during the final stage of the special operation, the SBU detained the criminals on sale of several improvised devices and 3 grenades.

The law enforcement officers are currently conducting 13 searches in Kyiv, Cherkasy, Zhytomyr and Lviv regions, including Lukianivskyi and Cherkasy pre-trial detention centers.

The investigation is ongoing upon the fact of unlawful handling of weapons, ammunition and explosives.

The perpetrators and their criminal connections are being checked for involvement in possible provocations in the run-up to local elections.

The operation was conducted by the officers of the SBU Main Directorate for Combating Corruption jointly with the SBU Office in Zhytomyr region, in cooperation with the Main National Police Department in Zhytomyr region under the procedural supervision of Military Prosecutor's Office of Zhytomyr garrison.