Russian agent tried to blow up post office in Zaporizhzhya

SBU counterintelligence has prevented a terrorist attack in the centre of Zaporizhzhya. A Russian military intelligence agent who tried to blow up a local post office has been detained. This was reported by the SBU on 5 March.

The defendant made an improvised explosive device with remote control. He received instructions for making the explosives from the Russian secret service.

He hid the ready-made device in fruit boxes to send them to the cargo department of one of the postal operators.

After receiving a message about the delivery of the "order" to the post office, the defendant was to detonate the explosives with a phone call. According to available data, the occupiers hoped that the undermining of the institution would lead to numerous civilian casualties and spread panic in the frontline city," the SBU said.

The SBU officers exposed the saboteur at the stage of preparation of the terrorist act. This made it possible to document his criminal actions step by step, "intercept" the dispatch with explosives and detain its owner.

The enemy accomplice turned out to be a local resident. In early 2023, he was remotely recruited by a staff member of the 316th Intelligence Centre of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces (known as GRU). His identity has already been identified by the SBU.

The occupants promised their agent a monetary reward if he carried out bombing and other enemy tasks.

During searches in the house and car of the detainee, items and components for creating an improvised explosive device were seized. Computer equipment and mobile phones with evidence of criminal actions were also found in his possession.

Investigators of the SBU informed the Russian agent of suspicion under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:

• ч. 2 Art. 28, part 2 Art. 111 (high treason committed under martial law by prior conspiracy of a group of persons);
• ч. 1, Art. 14, Part 2, Art. 258 (preparation to commit a terrorist act).

The detainee is in custody. He faces life imprisonment.