The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) thwarted an attempt by Russian special services to organize a series of murders and caught the organizers. Among those targeted were Sternenko and Bogdanov.
SBU reported this.
According to the investigation, during the special operation, a killer who was putting up armed resistance was eliminated, and more than 10 members of the group were detained. As law enforcement officers established, the suspects worked for Russian military intelligence and were preparing contract killings.
Potential targets include Serhiy Sternenko (an advisor to the Minister of Defense and a volunteer) and Ilya Bogdanov (a Russian citizen fighting on the side of Ukraine). The group tracked the victimsʼ places of residence and travel routes.
They passed this data on to their leader, a forensic expert from Poltava recruited by Russian special services, who coordinated the actions and passed the information on to the curators.
According to the case materials, the direct perpetrator (a killer from the temporarily occupied part of the Donetsk region) was trained at the Russian intelligence base.
He was supposed to make improvised explosive devices and plant them under cars or near the victimsʼ homes. If that failed, he was ordered to shoot the targets at close range. During the searches, weapons, ammunition, equipment, and other evidence of cooperation with Russian special services were seized from the suspects.
Also in Kramatorsk, the agents were to set up a food establishment frequented by Ukrainian servicemen in order to carry out a terrorist attack there. For this, they dropped an explosive device from a drone at a predetermined location.
The detainees were informed of suspicion under a number of articles, including treason, preparation of a terrorist act, and illegal handling of weapons. They are being held without bail. They face life imprisonment with confiscation of property.
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