Russian agents arrested in Odesa, Lviv for sabotage operations

Ukrinform reports this citing the SSU.

“They turned out to be men aged 19 to 73, remotely recruited by the enemy under the guise of ‘easy earnings.’ Two others were deceived by Russians posing as SSU officers,” the agency said.

In Odesa, security officers caught a local unemployed man “red-handed” as he tried to plant an improvised explosive device (IED) under a railway line.

The man had collected the explosive from a cache prepared in advance by Russian operatives.

SSU officers also detained seven more individuals in Odesa region who had been setting fire to relay cabinets on local railways to disrupt Ukrainian military logistics.

They filmed the arson attacks to report back to their handlers in Russia.

In Lviv, two 19-year-old residents were exposed after setting fire to a post office and residential entrances on Russian instructions.

Counterintelligence later discovered that the Russians had posed as SSU officers, tricking the young men into believing they were taking part in a Ukrainian “special operation.”

“According to the legend provided by the enemy, the targets supposedly harbored ‘criminals’ acting against Ukraine. The Russians exploited the patriotism and trust of Ukrainians in security forces to manipulate them into committing sabotage,” the SSU said.

All suspects have been charged under the Criminal Code of Ukraine. They face 10 years to life imprisonment with confiscation of property.

As Ukrinform previously reported, the SSU recently detained a Ukrainian deserter recruited by Russia who was planning a terrorist attack in central Zaporizhzhia.