The FSB suppressed a network of agents of the Main Intelligence Administration of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry who were planning to commit a series of high-profile acts of sabotage and terrorism on the territory of Crimea, the Department of public relations of the Service stated.

According to the investigation, Kiev had the objective of carrying out attacks against the head of the Republic of Crimea, Sergei Aksionov, the president of the Crimean Parliament, Vladimir Konstantinov, and the mayor of the city of Yalta, Yanina Pavlenko.

It was established that the direct organizer of the terrorist attacks and coordinator of the preparation of the assassinations of high authorities, is the officer of the active reserve of the military intelligence of Ukraine, Román Mashovets.

Mashovets has held the post of Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Volodomir Zelensky since 2020 and is a close associate of Kirill Budanov, head of the Main Intelligence Manager of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

Six Russian and Ukrainian nationals were arrested during the detention of the covert intelligence group, as well as a Ukrainian and Bulgarian citizen involved in transporting explosives and explosive device components.

During the operation, the FSB officers dismantled a shipping channel for British-made explosives and detonator components, which ran from Bulgaria to Russia via Türkiye and Georgia, under the pretext of supplying electric stoves.

jrr/llp/oda/hoo Russia dismantles Ukranian intelligence network in Crimea