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Ukrainian bomb plot thwarted – FSB Ukrainian music speaker bomb plot foiled – FSB
(about 5 hours later)
The suspect reportedly planned to kill a military blogger and a high-ranking military officerThe suspect reportedly planned to kill a military blogger and a high-ranking military officer
A Russian citizen, who agreed to work for Ukrainian military intelligence and carry out bomb attacks against a military blogger and an officer, has been apprehended by the FSB, the security agency said on Saturday. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Saturday it had thwarted a Ukrainian plot to assassinate a prominent military blogger and a high-ranking Russian officer using an improvised explosive device (IED) disguised as a portable music speaker.
The suspect told investigators that Ukraine had identified him as a potential recruit through his public comments on social media. A user contacted him via a messaging app, and invited him to become an asset for Ukraine’s HUR spy agency. The suspect, identified as a Russian citizen, was allegedly recruited by Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) through social media. According to the FSB, Ukrainian operatives contacted the man via a messaging app after monitoring his public comments online.
The Ukrainians reportedly set up a cache with a prepared improvised explosive device (IED) for the new recruit. The initial plan was to plant it under the car of a well-known blogger or the gate of the target’s home, the suspect said. The FSB noted that the blogger covers the Ukraine conflict. He claimed Ukraine provided him with the bomb, which was stashed in a hidden cache. The initial plan, according to investigators, was to target a blogger covering the Ukraine conflict by planting the IED under their car or near the gate of their home. However, the suspect reportedly fell ill, causing the plan to be postponed.
However the suspect fell ill, and the Ukrainians reportedly decided to scrap the plan. At a later point, he was ordered to use the bomb in his possession to kill a high-ranking Russian military officer. However, he was caught while stalking the new target and taken into custody. Later, the Ukrainians allegedly redirected him to assassinate a senior Russian military officer. The FSB said the suspect was apprehended while stalking the new target.
The FSB released images of the IED, which had an explosive core covered with ball bearings for additional lethality and was disguised as a portable loudspeaker with a magnetic attachment point. Its yield was estimated at 1.5 kg of TNT. The Russian law enforcement used a robot to recover the bomb for safe dismantlement. The explosive device, estimated to have the power of 1.5 kilograms of TNT, was fitted with ball bearings for added lethality and designed to attach magnetically to surfaces. Images released by the FSB show the bomb disguised as a portable speaker. Russian law enforcement used a robotic system to safely recover and dismantle it.
Through this week, the FSB has reported thwarting several other assassination attempts that it blamed on the Ukrainian government, including a plot to kill an activist using a bomb disguised as an award from a Russian media outlet. The FSB has linked the plot to a broader campaign of assassination attempts it claims are orchestrated by Ukrainian intelligence. Earlier in the week, the agency reported foiling additional attacks, including one involving a bomb disguised as an award meant for a Russian activist.
Earlier this month, Russian General Igor Kirillov and his aide were killed in a bomb plot that investigators said was masterminded by Kiev. The two officers died on the spot, after an explosive reportedly hidden inside an e-scooter’s handle was triggered remotely as they walked by. This month, a high-profile bombing in Russia killed General Igor Kirillov and his aide. Investigators allege that the explosive, concealed inside an e-scooter handle, was remotely detonated by Ukrainian agents as the officers walked past.
The FSB said its operations have disrupted ongoing threats but emphasized that Ukraine’s intelligence services are actively targeting Russian figures. Ukraine has not commented on the claims.