Kyiv Terror Plot Thwarted
Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) has prevented a planned terrorist attack in Kyiv by detaining two female agents who were preparing to assassinate a member of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The scheme involved detonating a car bomb near the pedestrian zone of Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square). The suspects operated independently: one built a homemade explosive device (IED), while the other attached a GPS tracker to the military member's vehicle.
Details of the Arrests
One of the detainees, an unemployed woman from the Sumy region, traveled to Kyiv, checked into a hotel, and constructed the IED by following a video tutorial. She then hid the finished bomb in a stash at a local cemetery. The other suspect, a former owner of a pastry shop in Sevastopol, was recruited by Russian intelligence services, who offered to help her escape debt in exchange for cooperation. She surveilled the Ukrainian defender, tracking his daily routes.
The arrests were carried out during a targeted operation: one agent was apprehended while retrieving the bomb from its hiding place, and the other was taken into custody at her residence. Searches of the second suspect's home uncovered nearly 6 kilograms of explosives, as well as a wig likely intended for disguise. Both women are in custody without the possibility of bail. They have been charged under multiple articles of the Ukrainian Criminal Code, including Part 2 of Article 111 (high treason under martial law), Part 5 of Article 27 and Part 1 of Article 258 (aiding and abetting a terrorist act), as well as charges related to the illegal manufacture and possession of an explosive device.
The SBU conducted these operations in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, in coordination with the SBU Counterintelligence Department and under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor's Office for the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. If convicted, the suspects face life imprisonment with confiscation of property.
This incident highlights the ongoing security threats facing Ukraine, particularly amid the continued military aggression from Russia.
The detention of these agents underscores the SBU's proactive efforts to counter terrorist threats and its readiness to act on intelligence about potential attacks. Moreover, the case reveals the risks associated with recruiting civilians to carry out criminal tasks during wartime.