Ukrainian Security Services Arrest Eight Russian Operatives in Odesa
The Security Service of Ukraine and the National Police arrested eight Russian agents involved in sabotage operations in Odesa, reports 24brussels.
The suspects are men aged between 19 and 73 who were remotely recruited by Russian operatives with offers of easy earnings.
In a recent operation, a local unemployed individual was apprehended while preparing to detonate explosives on a railway line during the passage of a train.
The Security Service, acting swiftly, captured the agent as he attempted to plant a homemade explosive device beneath the tracks.
Investigations revealed that the explosives were retrieved from a cache prepared by Russian operatives in the regional center.
Additionally, seven other individuals were detained in Odesa for setting fire to relay cabinets on the local railway, aimed at disrupting logistical operations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The perpetrators used flammable mixtures and recorded the fires on camera to report back to their handlers in Russia.
All detained individuals have been informed of their suspicions under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine: part 2 of Article 15, part 2 of Article 28, part 2 of Article 113 (sabotage committed by a group with prior agreement during a state of war) and part 2 of Article 194 (intentional destruction or damage of property by fire).
The suspects face imprisonment ranging from 10 years to life, along with property confiscation.
In related news, a woman in the Donetsk region has been sentenced to life imprisonment for directing Russian strikes on populated areas.
