Russian special services recruited in Ukraine to carry out arson attacks in EU countries

Russian special services recruited pro-Russian individuals in Ukraine who were taken to EU countries to carry out arson attacks. This was reported by the National Police and the SBU on 25 July.

It is known about several commercial establishments in Poland and the Baltic States that were destroyed by fire. The attackers also received an order to set fire to one of the humanitarian aid centres for Ukraine in Poland," the police said.

According to the Russian special services, arson attacks on shopping centres, warehouses or critical infrastructure facilities were meant to destabilize the situation and discredit Ukraine.

Law enforcers identified a group of individuals who were conducting a thorough selection of pro-Russian citizens in Ukraine to carry out FSB tasks in the EU countries. The main criterion for the selection of performers was Ukrainian citizenship.

The organiser of the recruitment group turned out to be a 39-year-old resident of Ivano-Frankivsk. Having direct contact with the Russian special services, the recruiters received "orders" from their handlers on a regular basis.

After identifying a target for future arson attacks, the perpetrators produced forged documents for the recruited agents to travel abroad without hindrance. They also opened bank accounts for fake persons to ensure illegal financial transactions of the defendants.

on 18 July, officers of the National Police, the SBU counterintelligence service and the Defence Ministry's GUR, with the force support of the TOR special police regiment, conducted 40 searches at the residences and in the cars of the defendants in six regions.

On the same day, police detained three members of the criminal group in Ivano-Frankivsk region.

According to the participation of each of the defendants, they are suspected under several articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Sanctions incriminated articles provide for punishment in the form of imprisonment for up to fifteen years of imprisonment or life imprisonment, with confiscation of property.

Earlier Socialportal reported that in Poland at the waste processing plant in Wola Laska, near Lodz, there was an explosion and fire. Eleven people were injured, two are in serious condition.