Ukraine said today that it had thwarted a Russian operation that planned to carry out a series of bombings at building materials stores and near a cafe in the capital Kyiv, as well as at a defense industry plant in the western city of Lviv the country, Reuters reported, writes BTA.
Two Russian military agents have been detained on suspicion of involvement in the alleged plot, with 19 explosive devices seized, according to a post in "Telegram" of the Office of the Ukrainian Prosecutor General.
Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) said in a statement that four bombs were to be detonated in the capital on May 9, when Russia was celebrating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in 1945.
"According to the plan of the Russian special service, the explosives were supposed to be detonated during peak hours in supermarkets in order to cause maximum damage to the civilian population," the SBU said in "Telegram".
So far, Moscow has not commented on the information.
According to the SBU, explosive devices for building materials stores in Kyiv were hidden in tea bags, and another bomb was planted in a car and was supposed to explode near a cafe. The attack in Lviv should have been carried out in February, the security service also said. According to the prosecutor's office, the target was an unnamed enterprise from the defense industry.
Ukraine regularly reports foiled attacks behind its backs planned by Russian security services, arresting agents it claims are working for Moscow, Reuters notes.
Last week, the SBU said it had captured two State Security Service agents who planned to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelensky and the head of military intelligence, Kirill Budanov.