Terrorist attack at police station in Odesa Oblast: suspect in making explosives detained – photos

Law enforcers have detained a man suspected of making an explosive device for a terrorist attack at a police station in Biliaivka, Odesa Oblast, on 23 March. Source: National Police, Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), Odesa Oblast Prosecutor's Office Quote from SSU: "Then a local resident, recruited by the FSB, brought a package with an IED [improvised explosive device - ed.] to the local police department.

In a few minutes, the occupiers remotely detonated the explosives together with their agent.

As of now, the Russian agent who manufactured and handed over the explosive device to the perpetrator of the terrorist attack via a courier has been detained."

Details: The suspect is a 44-year-old serial offender from Dnipropetrovsk Oblast who was wanted for theft and was hiding from authorities in Odesa. The investigation reveals that the suspect was recruited by Russian special services through a Telegram channel. He was asked to carry out a series of terrorist attacks in Odesa Oblast in exchange for a financial reward. 

The individual consented and was given instructions on how to construct an improvised explosive device (IED) using improvised means.

He put together the explosive device at his place of residence in Odesa, guided by a Russian supervisor who spoke with him via video. On 22 March, the suspect received an order to prepare the device for delivery to the perpetrator. The next day, he disguised the IED as a gift and sent it to Biliaivka by taxi.

According to the curator's instructions, the parcel was to be received by a 35-year-old local resident. The woman received the "gift" and a few minutes later brought it to the police administrative building. When a representative of the Russian special services was convinced that the device was there, he made a call to the SIM card embedded in the explosive.

This caused the detonation.

The attack killed the woman and injured three police officers After the explosion in Biliaivka, the agent "went into hiding even deeper", trying to confuse the law enforcement officers. Among other things, he regularly changed his mobile phone numbers and place of residence.

SSU officers established the suspect's whereabouts and detained him. During the searches in one of the apartments rented by the Russian agent, the SSU seized a new explosive disguised as a fire extinguisher with additional destructive elements and a phone for remote activation.

The intelligence states that the Russians planned to use this explosive device in the near future to commit a new terrorist attack in the oblast, the SSU said. At the request of the prosecution, the court arrested the suspect without bail.

His involvement in other crimes is currently being established.

Quote from SSU: "We reiterate: if someone tries to recruit you to set fire to an Armed Forces vehicle, administrative buildings, organise a terrorist attack or mine - immediately report it to the SSU chatbot "Burn the FSB guy".

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