Based on the evidence collected by the Security Service of Ukraine, an enemy agent – exposed in May 2025 whilst preparing a terrorist attack in Zaporizhzhia – has been sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment with confiscation of property.

The investigation established that the perpetrator had received orders from russia to plant an improvised bomb in the centre of the city.

The russian intelligence planned to remotely detonate the explosive during rush hour to cause the maximum number of civilian casualties.

The SSU Counterintelligence acted pre-emptively and caught the agent red-handed whilst he was assembling the explosive device in a rented flat in Zaporizhzhia.

According to the investigation, the terrorist attack was prepared by a conscript from Myrnohrad in the Donetsk region who had been recruited by the enemy and had deserted his military unit.

He came to russia’s attention when, after deserting his unit, he began looking for ‘easy’ money on Telegram.

The agent was given a test task: to reconnoitre the locations of checkpoints and other Defence Forces positions in Kyiv, where the deserter was in hiding.

Shortly afterwards, his russian handler instructed him to prepare a terrorist attack in the centre of Zaporizhzhia. To this end, the agent travelled to the regional capital and rented accommodation in order to construct an improvised bomb following instructions from the russian service.

During a search of the detainee’s temporary accommodation, components for the IED were seized. In addition, a mini-camera was found in his possession, which he was to install near the site of the planned terrorist attack to record the aftermath of the explosion in real time.

Based on evidence collected by the Security Service, the court found the accused guilty under the Articles of the CCU:

• 111.2 (high treason, committed under martial law);
• 408.4 (desertion, committed under martial law);
• 15.2, 263.1 (completed attempt to handle explosive substances unlawfully);
• 263-1.2 (unlawful manufacture of explosive substances or explosive devices).

The investigation was carried out by the SSU Office in the Zaporizhzhia region under the procedural supervision of the Specialised Defence Prosecutor’s Office in the Eastern Region.