Russia's FSB claims it detained 18 'Ukrainian agents' in Crimea this year.

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed on Dec.

11 that it had uncovered a "hidden, extensive intelligence network of Ukrainian intelligence services" in Crimea and had detained 18 "Ukrainian agents" on the occupied peninsula over the past year. Moscow has been occupying Crimea since 2014 and Ukrainian intelligence agencies reported an active anti-Russian resistance movement on the peninsula. It is unclear whether the FSB's accusations are true as Moscow regularly uses trumped-up charges to suppress even non-violent dissent.

The activities of the alleged network were coordinated by Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) under the guidance of "Western handlers," the FSB claimed. The FSB alleged that "agents and accomplices of Ukrainian intelligence services" were tasked to carry out sabotage activities, and planned attacks against high-profile representatives of Russian occupation authorities, such as the Russia-installed Crimea head, Sergey Aksyonov. Other supposed targets were said to include Crimea's so-called "parliament" chair, Vladimir Konstantinov, the Russia-installed head of Yalta, Yanina Pavlenko, a pro-Russian military blogger Alexander Talipov, and pro-Russian politician Oleg Tsaryov.

Tsaryov was reportedly shot and injured in late October in what Ukrainian media called an SBU operation. The FSB also claimed that two attempts on Aksyonov's life had been made this year, one in May and another in July. The detainees were accused of involvement in five sabotage operations against railway lines in the Simferopol, Kirovske, and Feodosia districts, bombings of gas pipelines in Simferopol and the village of Koreiz, and car bombings against Russian occupation authorities in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.

Putin plays it safe by delaying new mobilization ahead of election in Russia Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Dec.

8 that he would participate in the upcoming presidential elections in March, seeking his 5th term in office. Putin, 71, has been in power since 1999 and it's all but certain that he will secure a six-year term.

Russia's upcoming presidential