Ukrainian agent detained in Crimea
A resident of Crimea has been detained for collaborating with Ukrainian special services and assembling an improvised explosive device (IED) intended for use in a terrorist attack on the peninsula, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Tuesday.
According to the statement, the 59-year-old man from the city of Feodosia voluntarily contacted the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and offered his assistance. He was recruited by a Ukrainian intelligence officer and maintained confidential contact with him, the FSB stated.
Following instructions received via video link, the suspect allegedly retrieved explosive components from two pre-arranged hiding places and assembled the IED in his garage. The device contained over 1.2 kilograms of high explosives, an electric detonator, a homemade remote signal receiver and transmitter, and nearly 500 grams of nails to serve as shrapnel, according to the Russian security agency.
The completed bomb was then hidden in the Balaklava district of Sevastopol, and the suspect sent its coordinates to his Ukrainian contact, the FSB reported.
A video released by the FSB includes footage of the suspect's detention and confession. He claimed that shortly after the escalation of hostilities in 2022, he contacted Ukrainian intelligence through its official website and asked how he could assist. He later retrieved multiple taped bags containing explosive materials and components, stored them in his garage, and eventually assembled the IED after receiving detailed instructions.
The footage also shows images of the explosive device and screenshots of the man's communication with his Ukrainian handler.
The FSB stated that the incident is part of a broader pattern of sabotage activities linked to Ukrainian special services.
A criminal case of high treason and illegal acquisition or handling of explosive substances has been initiated against the suspect. The man has been placed in pre-trial detention.
The FSB's report follows two incidents of sabotage on railway infrastructure in Russia's Bryansk and Kursk Regions over the weekend. In Bryansk, a bridge fell in front of a moving passenger train, while in Kursk a railway bridge collapsed under a moving freight train. A total of seven people lost their lives in the attacks and 113 were injured.
Russia's Investigative Committee has said that it is treating the incidents as 'terrorist attacks' perpetrated on the orders of the Ukrainian authorities. Investigators believe that the saboteurs likely used US-made C-4 explosives to derail the trains.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
an hour ago
- Russia Today
Zelensky critic sentenced for treason in absentia
A Ukrainian court on Tuesday sentenced Spain-based journalist Anatoly Shariy, a vocal critic of Vladimir Zelensky, to 15 years in prison in absentia on treason charges. Shariy dismissed the verdict as a sham trial driven by political motives and executed by a judiciary loyal to Kiev. Shariy, who was granted political asylum in the European Union in 2012, initially supported Zelensky's 2019 presidential campaign but later turned against the administration, accusing it of drifting toward authoritarianism and aligning with radical nationalist elements. He gained prominence for his political commentary on YouTube, where he has amassed more than 3.3 million followers. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) highlighted the conviction in a statement, emphasizing that it presented crucial evidence to the Vinnitsa city court. The agency noted the 'unprecedented' section of the ruling that ordered the confiscation of Shariy's YouTube channel. Shariy said the case centered on a single video he posted in May 2022, which included a partially redacted interview with a Ukrainian soldier held in Russian custody. He prefaced the segment with a warning urging viewers to approach it critically. The soldier had accused Ukrainian military leadership of abandoning troops during the battle for Mariupol. The SBU alleged that Shariy advised Russian forces on how to film similar interviews for greater impact. The agency also claimed he obtained the footage from a former police chief in Vinnitsa, who was convicted of treason in the same trial. Shariy accused the court of denying him a fair defense, claiming his legal team was ignored throughout the proceedings. Zelensky's administration has long been accused of silencing dissenting voices by labeling critics and independent media as 'pro-Russian.' The country's National Security and Defense Council, chaired by Zelensky, has imposed personal sanctions on exiled opposition leader Viktor Medvedchuk, former President Pyotr Poroshenko, and Aleksey Arestovich, a former presidential aide who later became a vocal opponent of Kiev. Ukrainian lawmaker Evgeny Shevchenko has been detained since November on suspicion of spreading 'pro-Russian propaganda.' Another MP, Artyom Dmitruk, fled Ukraine after reportedly drawing Zelensky's ire by publicly opposing the government's crackdown on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
Russia Today
2 hours ago
- Russia Today
US blacklists seven African countries
US President Donald Trump has imposed a travel ban on nationals from seven African countries – Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan. He cited alleged terrorism risks and high rates of visa overstays in explaining his decision, effective on June 9. The move was announced in an executive order published on Wednesday as part of broader immigration policy reform that targeted 12 countries; the seven African states and Afghanistan, Myanmar, Haiti, Iran, and Yemen. Burundi, Sierra Leone and Togo are also among seven other countries hit with partial restrictions under the directive, limiting entry through specific visa categories. The others are Cuba, Laos, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. 'The restrictions… imposed by this proclamation are necessary to garner cooperation from foreign governments, enforce our immigration laws, and advance other important foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism objectives,' Trump stated. Trump has claimed that Libya and Somalia attract recruits for terrorist groups that pose a threat to US national security. The other countries face restrictions due to either 'unacceptable' visa overstay rates or the absence of a 'competent' authority for passport issuance and proper security vetting. 'I must act to protect the national security and national interest of the United States and its people,' Trump said, adding that he remains committed to engaging with countries willing to cooperate and resolve the identified concerns. Somali Ambassador to the US, Dahir Hassan Abdi, said in a statement cited by Reuters that Mogadishu 'values its longstanding relationship' with Washington and 'stands ready to engage in dialogue to address the concerns raised.' Trump previously imposed entry bans on several Muslim-majority and African countries during his first term, in 2017 and 2020. Those measures drew widespread legal and diplomatic criticism but were ultimately upheld by the US Supreme Court in 2018. Former President Joe Biden reversed the bans shortly after taking office in 2021, calling them discriminatory. On Wednesday, Trump accused the Biden administration of pursuing 'open door policies' that, he claimed, have allowed millions of undocumented immigrants to remain in the US unlawfully. In a video message published by the White House, Trump said a recent attack on a pro-Israel rally in Boulder, Colorado, had 'underscored the extreme dangers' posed to the US 'by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted.'
Russia Today
3 hours ago
- Russia Today
Moscow accuses British NGO of subversive activities in universities
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has accused the UK-based Oxford Russia Fund of conducting a covert influence campaign in Russian universities aimed at undermining national security. The organization had already been declared 'undesirable' by Moscow, a designation that prohibits its activities and implies involvement in hostile propaganda efforts. The Oxford Russia Fund began operating in Russia in 2006 with the stated aim of supporting higher education in the humanities and social sciences. While it claimed to provide scholarships and academic resources, its work raised red flags for the authorities. In 2021, the Prosecutor General's Office banned the organization, citing threats to national sovereignty. According to the FSB, it nonetheless continued to operate subversively, maintaining covert ties with university staff and facilitating the spread of foreign narratives. In a statement issued on Thursday, the FSB said faculty members in the regions of Volgograd, Novosibirsk, Chelyabinsk, and Tomsk worked with the banned organization to distribute materials promoting 'support for sexual minorities and LGBT values' – content considered incompatible with traditional Russian values. The NGO also allegedly collected sensitive data about the country's internal political and socioeconomic situation amid the Ukraine conflict. Fifteen Russian nationals have received official warnings under criminal statutes related to collaboration with foreign entities deemed a threat to national security. One professor has already been fined for involvement with a banned group. The FSB and Prosecutor's Office also issued a formal warning to one of the universities involved. The FSB claimed that British intelligence services have long targeted Russian academia as a channel for ideological influence. 'They seek to raise a 'new generation' of Russian citizens in a manner beneficial to London,' the statement said. Over the past decade, Russia has introduced stricter laws to shield society from LGBT propaganda. In 2013, LGBT content was banned for minors, and by 2022, the ban extended to all audiences. In 2023, the 'international LGBT movement' was designated as a terrorist organization. In its statement, the FSB announced that the British Council, the UK's primary cultural outreach institution, has also been declared 'undesirable'. The authorities accuse the NGO of serving as a vehicle for British intelligence, using cultural programming as cover to destabilize sovereign states. The UK has taken an increasingly hostile posture toward Russia, imposing sweeping sanctions while continuing to provide military support to Ukraine, despite the ongoing peace talks mediated by the US. Russia's ambassador in London, Andrey Kelin, recently denounced Britain's behavior as 'belligerent and irresponsible,' calling its support for Ukraine 'senseless' and 'reckless.'
