A 19-year-old resident of Zhytomyr was arrested in Vinnytsia for allegedly working with Russian intelligence services and planning to plant explosives in the courtyard of an apartment building. He has been charged with state treason.
This was reported by the press service of the Vinnytsia regional prosecutor's office.
«Under the procedural leadership of the Vinnytsia regional prosecutor's office, a 19-year-old citizen of Ukraine from Zhytomyr has been charged with state treason committed in wartime conditions (part 2 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine)», the statement reads.
According to the report, the suspect is part of an enemy intelligence network tasked with recruiting Ukrainians to create improvised explosive devices (IEDs) for use against military personnel and law enforcement.
Additionally, network members gather information required by Russian intelligence for carrying out subversive activities against Ukraine.
Specifically, the suspect transmitted photographs, videos, and precise coordinates of police stations, military vehicles, and other sensitive locations in Zhytomyr to his handler via Telegram. In return, he received money on his bank card.
Subsequently, for an agreed amount of $1,000, the young man agreed to travel to Vinnytsia and install an IED at specified coordinates.
Upon arriving in the regional center in the evening, the suspect, following the handler's instructions, found a stash containing a package with a device made up of a container with powder and wires connected to two telephones. He took the package to the courtyard of residential buildings and left it among plants in a flowerbed.
Preliminary data suggests that the explosives were intended to be activated when military personnel were nearby.
The Security Service of Ukraine prevented the crime and apprehended the Russian agent in the act. He has been charged and the court has imposed a preventive measure of detention without the right to bail.
The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by the investigative department of the SBU in the Vinnytsia region.
The crime carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison or life imprisonment with confiscation of property.
