Arrest in Zhytomyr: Woman Accused of Planning Bomb Attack on Ukrainian Forces
Ukraine’s SBU counterintelligence, together with the National Police, thwarted a terrorist plot in Zhytomyr. They apprehended a Russian agent who allegedly intended to blow up an administrative building belonging to a unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. To gain access, she posed as a delivery service employee.
The suspect, a resident of Izmail in Odesa Oblast, traveled to Zhytomyr, rented an apartment, and built an explosive device using chemical formulas provided by her handlers in Russia. Her plan was to deliver the homemade bomb—packed with metal nuts and bolts for added lethality—while wearing a postal uniform and pretending to be a courier. Once inside the military facility, her Russian supervisors would remotely detonate the device using a mobile phone.
How Law Enforcement Intervened and What Happens Next
The woman first came to the attention of Russian intelligence services through Telegram channels. While preparing for the attack, she also conducted reconnaissance near other military sites in the city. Special forces arrested her just after she had finished assembling the bomb and purchased the courier uniform. A search of her premises uncovered the completed explosive device, chemical components for making explosives, the courier uniform, and a smartphone containing messages that confirm coordination with Russia.
SBU investigators have charged the suspect under Article 111, Part 2 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code (high treason committed under martial law). She is currently in custody and faces life imprisonment with asset confiscation.
This case highlights how Russian special services continue to try to destabilize Ukraine by recruiting agents to carry out terrorist attacks.
Countering such threats remains a top priority for Ukrainian law enforcement, especially amid the ongoing war. The detention also underscores the importance of monitoring suspicious activity that could pose a risk to national security.
This incident in Zhytomyr is part of a broader pattern of Russian attempts to undermine Ukraine's security. Just recently, the Ukrainian Security Service detained another woman who was involved in directing a drone attack on Kharkiv. Such operations emphasize the ongoing threat posed by foreign agents. For more details on this related case, see how Ukrainian forces are countering these threats.