Latest news with #UkrainianIntelligence
Russia Today
4 hours ago
- General
- Russia Today
Foreign-made explosives used in railway terrorist attacks
Explosives used to blow up two railway bridges in Russia over the weekend were foreign-made, the head of Russia's Investigative Committee Aleksandr Bastrykin has announced. The attack, which claimed the lives of seven civilians, was organized by Ukrainian intelligence, he added. DETAILS TO FOLLOW
Russia Today
a day ago
- General
- Russia Today
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.
Russia Today
a day ago
- General
- Russia Today
EU state warns children about ‘Russian spies'
The Lithuanian Ministry of Education has issued a warning to schools about what it described as possible attempts by Russian special services to enlist teenage students, according to local media. The warning was delivered by Vilmantas Vitkauskas, deputy director of the National Crisis Management Centre, a government body tasked with managing emergencies and national security threats. The Delfi news outlet reported on Monday that educators have been told to advise students to be wary of strangers offering seemingly easy jobs online, which authorities say could be a front for recruiting young people into espionage. Vitkauskas claimed Russia is applying tactics in the Baltic region similar to those allegedly used in Ukraine. Kiev's security forces have accused Moscow of covertly recruiting local teenagers. Russia, in turn, has claimed that Ukrainian intelligence agencies have used online platforms to recruit vulnerable individuals, including minors, for operations involving espionage and sabotage inside Russia. These efforts are said to intersect with Ukraine's thriving cybercrime ecosystem. In December, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said it had foiled an assassination attempt allegedly organized by Ukrainian operatives, which involved three teenagers acting as scouts. In September 2024, two schoolchildren aged 13 and 14 were apprehended after setting fire to a helicopter. They told police they had been promised more than $60,000 for the act of sabotage. In March, the FSB accused Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) of trying to collect personal data on Russian schoolchildren through a phishing scheme. The agency said the cyber operation could be used later for recruitment and claimed it was 'directed by NATO special services.'
Reuters
2 days ago
- General
- Reuters
Zelenskiy says Ukraine, Russia to exchange lists this week for POW swap
KYIV, June 2 (Reuters) - Ukraine and Russia agreed at talks in Istanbul on Monday next week to give each other lists of people they want included in a planned prisoner of war swap, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. Zelenskiy told an online news briefing that negotiators for Russia and Ukraine agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners each, with the possibility of swapping an additional 200 POWs. He said there was also agreement to return the remains of killed service personnel, but this would take careful preparation. Zelenskiy also said Ukrainian negotiators gave their Russian counterparts a list of nearly 400 children it wanted Russia to return home to Ukraine, but that the Russian delegation agreed to work on returning only 10 of them. Further, the Ukrainian leader referred to a Ukrainian intelligence operation on Sunday, codenamed "Spider's Web", in which drones smuggled inside wooden sheds attacked Russian military airfields. He said the operation had helped to restore partners' confidence that Ukraine is able to continue waging its war against Russia's invasion.
Russia Today
2 days ago
- General
- Russia Today
Ukraine ‘a terrorist state'
A senior Russian lawmaker has accused Ukrainian intelligence services of orchestrating an explosion that damaged a bridge in Russia's Bryansk region, describing the incident as an act of terrorism aimed at intimidating civilians and provoking Moscow ahead of potential talks. On Saturday evening, as a result of an explosion, a bridge fell in front of a moving passenger train moving at high speed, derailing it. The crash killed seven people and injured 97 others. Several hours later, a railway bridge collapsed under a moving freight train in Kursk Region, wounding the driver and two of his assistants. 'This is clearly the work of Ukrainian special services. Everything points to Ukraine being a terrorist state,' Andrey Kartapolov, head of the Russian State Duma's defense committee, told Russian news outlet SHOT, on Sunday. Kartapolov said the blasts had no military significance but were designed to 'harden' Russia's stance and spread fear among the population. He added that Russian security services would investigate the incident and determine the circumstances. 'All of this is aimed at escalating Russia's position and provoking aggression before negotiations, as well as to intimidate people. But it won't work,' he said. The Investigative Committee said in a statement on Sunday that the bridges had been 'blown up' in both incidents. Later that same day, drones targeted military airfields in Murmansk Region in the country's north, in Ivanovo and Ryazan regions in western Russia, and in Irkutsk Region in Siberia and Amur Region in the Far East. Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky touted the 'absolutely brilliant result' saying that the strikes had been prepared for more a year and a half and targeted Russia's strategic aviation fleet. 'In total, 117 drones were used in the operation,' he said in a video message posted on X. Drones were reportedly smuggled into Russia and launched remotely off the back of trucks. In response to Kiev's raids, Russia has launched several retaliatory strikes targeting Ukraine's defense industry facilities, as well as military assembly points and warehouses. While Kiev has not officially claimed responsibility for the collapses of two bridges that caused train derailments in Russia, Ukrainian opposition MP Artyom Dmitruk said the incidents were 'another step toward peace according to Zelensky's formula,' referring to his proposed peace plan. 'Let me remind you, negotiations are scheduled for June 2,' the lawmaker added. The second round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks begins in Istanbul, Türkiye, on Monday. The two countries held their first direct negotiations in three years in May, where they agreed to submit detailed ceasefire proposals.
