Two teenagers arrested for deadly terrorist attack in Zhytomyr

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) office in the Zhytomyr region announced this on Facebook, according to Ukrinform.

"The Security Service and the National Police apprehended two Russian agents 'hot on the trail' who carried out a terrorist attack in Zhytomyr on the evening of August 5. The incident involved the detonation of an improvised explosive device (IED) in one of the city's residential districts. As a result, one man was killed and another was hospitalized in serious condition," the statement reads.

The investigation revealed that the teenagers — a local vocational student and her peer — were recruited by Russian intelligence after seeking easy money via Telegram channels. Once recruited, they received instructions from a Russian handler on how to build an IED using common household materials.

To conceal their activity, they purchased components in different stores and local markets. For maximum lethality, they filled the device with metal nuts and connected it to a mobile phone, enabling Russian agents to detonate it remotely.

The suspects placed the explosive at a pre-determined location sent by their handler. They also hid a phone camera nearby, allowing Russian operatives to monitor the site and trigger the blast upon the victims' arrival, the SBU said.

Both suspects have been officially charged under Article 258-3 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — committing a terrorist attack that resulted in death. Prosecutors have requested pre-trial detention.

If convicted, the pair face life imprisonment and property confiscation.

The explosion occurred near Suryna Hora Street in Zhytomyr on August 5. One man was killed, and another hospitalized with serious injuries.