The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has thwarted a planned bombing at a military facility in Zhytomyr. An agent, posing as a courier, intended to deliver an explosive device to the site.
The individual, a resident of Izmail in the Odesa region, was reportedly recruited by Russian intelligence through the messaging platform Telegram while seeking quick financial gain. Following her recruitment, she was sent to Zhytomyr, where she rented an apartment and began assembling a homemade explosive device using instructions provided by two Russian handlers.
The operational plan involved the agent donning the uniform of a well-known delivery service to deliver the bomb disguised as a package. The handlers intended to detonate the device remotely using a mobile phone embedded within the explosive.
To enhance the bomb’s lethality, it was reportedly packed with metal nuts and bolts. The agent conducted reconnaissance around the target building, coordinated the timing and location of the attack with her handlers, and documented the perimeters of other military installations in the city.
The SBU acted preemptively, apprehending the agent before she could execute her plan. She had already prepared the explosive device and acquired the courier uniform.
During a search of her rented apartment, authorities seized:
- a fully assembled homemade explosive device;
- chemical components for further bomb construction;
- the courier uniform;
- a smartphone containing evidence of the bombing preparation.
The SBU has charged the woman with treason under wartime conditions, and she is currently in custody. The maximum penalty for her actions could be life imprisonment with asset confiscation.
In a related development, the SBU previously detained a Russian military intelligence agent in Donetsk, who was gathering coordinates for airstrikes on Kramatorsk and Druzhkivka. This individual was documenting infrastructure targets and relaying information to his handler for airstrike coordination.
Additionally, in early April, another FSB agent was apprehended in Odesa. This individual, a former resident of Kirovohrad, had lived in Russia for 15 years and was recruited through a political project linked to Viktor Medvedchuk. She had reportedly placed a GPS tracker on the vehicle of a special operations officer to facilitate a potential assassination.
The SBU has successfully disrupted a bombing plot in Zhytomyr, arresting a woman recruited by Russian intelligence. The case highlights ongoing security threats amid the conflict in Ukraine.