Ukrainian–Russian man detained for ‘preparing terrorist attack’ in Adygea
A court in Adygea has detained a man with Russian and Ukrainian citizenship for allegedly planning to set fire to building housing army volunteers in Maykop.
The 63-year-old man, whose name was not made public, was ordered into pre-trial detention by the Maykop City Court on 17 March.
He was charged with preparing an act of terrorism, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.
Investigators assume that he was recruited by the Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) while he was in Ukraine, gave a written consent to provide assistance to them, and even chose a pseudonym.
After his return to Adygea, he stayed in touch with SBU through the messenger Telegram and was instructed in February to find an object for arson in the territory of the republic.
Officials claim that the intent for the arson was to intimidate the locals, put pressure on the authorities to withdraw the Russian Armed Forces from Ukraine and stop what Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
The alleged target was a volunteer group building, which the suspect intended to set afire per instructions from the SBU, which had reportedly taught him how to carry out the clandestine arson attack, as well as how to record the ensuing blaze.
According to the statement, the man was detained by the officers of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) while on his way to the site of the planned attack before he was able to carry it out.
The court did not identify the name of the suspect or the volunteer group. The SBU has not commented on the man’s arrest.
Gunef Yedic
