Blasts at draft offices: nine incidents recorded since year-start

This was stated by the head of the National Police, Ivan Vyhivskyi, at a briefing, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"This year alone, as of now, we have already had nine such incidents, the latest one at 13:00 today in Kamianets-Podilskyi. Someone approached the draft office checkpoint carrying a bag, allegedly asked to hand someone a package, and at that moment an explosion occurred. Four people were affected. The attacker died. Three of the nine incidents targeted police officers," Vyhivskyi said.

According to the police chief, in all these cases, the perpetrators have been identified and arrested.

The head of the National Police noted that since last year, law enforcers have been aware that Russian intelligence are on a hunt for security and defense operatives. The enemy has been coming up with various methods and ways to commit attacks against police operatives. "In one of the regions, a police squad was called up to an apartment where an explosive device was disguised as a children's toy," said Vyhivskyi.

"We clearly understand, along with the SBU, that this is a specific attack by Russian intelligence, aimed to creating a false public narrative, destabilizing the country, and sowing a negative attitude toward our country’s Security and Defense Forces," he stressed.

Vyhivskyi focused on the fact that as a rule, Russians recruit younger people under the age of 20, who are not yet aware of all the accountability, as well criminals, such as local drug dealers. "In Chernivtsi, these are specifically people involved in drug trafficking," he said.

At the same time, he noted that in most cases, Russian intelligence operatives stop short of actually paying their recruits a promised reward.

"The latest two cases – the one Rivne and today's incident – indicate that they now tend to eliminate those they’ve recruited," the head of the National Police emphasized.

Vyhivskyi called on citizens, if they are aware of any potential terrorist attacks, to report them to the SBU and National Police.

As reported, on February 5, an explosion rocked the area outside a military draft office in Kamianets-Podilskyi, Khmelnytskyi region. As per tentative reports, one person was killed and four suffered injuries.

Photo: National Police