The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced on Monday it had thwarted a Russian plot to assassinate commanders of the Azov Brigade in the front-line city of Zaporizhzhia.
Two men, both local residents, were detained by SBU counter-intelligence officers. According to the investigation, the suspects were recruited remotely by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) and tasked with carrying out a series of terrorist attacks against Ukrainian military personnel.
Their primary target was a vehicle used by Azov commanders. The plot involved planting a remote-detonated improvised explosive device (IED) under the car while it was parked. The suspects had conducted reconnaissance in Zaporizhzhia, tracking the movements of military vehicles and identifying a suitable location for the attack.
To allow their FSB handlers to monitor the operation in real-time, the agents were instructed to install a hidden camera near the site of the planned bombing.
SBU operatives intervened as the suspects were retrieving the IED from a hiding place. The device, which was disguised as a spare power battery, was seized. During subsequent searches of the suspects' residences, authorities found components for another explosive device, mobile phones used for communication with their Russian handlers, and schematics of IEDs.
The detainees have been charged with treason and preparing a terrorist act. They are being held in pre-trial detention and face life imprisonment if convicted.