The intelligence service, which is the main successor to the Soviet era spy agency KGB, said that targets of the Ukrainian network included Sergei Aksyonov, the Russia-appointed head of Crimea and also Oleg Tsaryov, a former pro-Russian member of Ukrainian parliament.

In October this year, Tsaryiv was shot twice but survived. The attack took place in Crimea that was occupied by Russia from Ukraine in 2014. It was reported a source in Ukraine’s SBU intelligence agency that this was an SBU operation.

The FSB said on Monday that the Ukrainian network it cracked, had in the past, also targeted railway and energy infrastructure in Crimea. The FSB said that it has found arms and explosives and had also detained 18 “agents and accomplices of the Ukrainian special services”.

“Fourteen acts of sabotage-terrorism were prevented, including the attack on six railway lines, two gas distribution facilities, three power substations and three motor vehicles,” the FSB statement said.

FSB also added that 15 Ukrainian caches were discovered, in which 37 improvised explosive devices and over 200 kg of detonators were seized. Ten people have already been convicted for planning sabotage and terrorist acts.

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