Terrorist attack at Odesa Oblast police station: man suspected of making explosives detained
Law enforcers have detained a man who is suspected of making an explosive device used in a terrorist attack at a police station in Biliaivka, Odesa Oblast, on 23 March.
Source: National Police; Security Service of Ukraine (SSU); Odesa Oblast Prosecutor's Office
Quote from the SSU: "A local woman who had been recruited by the FSB brought a package containing an IED (improvised explosive device) into the local police station. A few minutes later, the occupiers remotely detonated the explosives and blew up their asset at the same time.
The Russian asset who manufactured the explosive device and handed it over to the woman who carried out the terrorist attack via a courier has now been detained."
Details: The suspect is a 44-year-old serial offender from Dnipropetrovsk Oblast who was wanted for theft and was hiding in Odesa from the authorities.
The investigation established that the suspect was recruited by the Russian secret services through a Telegram channel. He was asked to carry out a series of terrorist attacks in Odesa Oblast in exchange for a financial reward.
The individual consented and was given instructions on how to construct an IED using materials at hand. Guided by a Russian handler who spoke with him via video, he put together the explosive device at his place of residence in Odesa.
On 22 March, the suspect received an order to get the device ready for delivery to the perpetrator. The following day, he disguised the IED as a gift and sent it to Biliaivka by taxi. According to the handler's instructions, the parcel was to be received by a 35-year-old local woman.
The woman took delivery of the "gift", and a few minutes later she took it to the police station. Once the representative of the Russian secret services was sure the device was there, he made a call to the SIM card embedded in the explosive. This caused it to detonate.
The attack killed the woman and injured three police officers.
After the explosion in Biliaivka, the asset "went even deeper underground" in an attempt to confuse law enforcement officers. Among other things, he regularly changed his mobile phone numbers and place of residence.
SSU officers established the suspect's whereabouts and detained him.
During searches in one of the apartments rented by the Russian asset, the SSU seized another explosive disguised as a fire extinguisher with additional destructive elements and a phone for remote activation.
According to intelligence, the Russians planned to use this explosive device in the near future to commit a further terrorist attack in the oblast, the SSU said.
At the request of the prosecution, the court placed the suspect under arrest without bail.
His involvement in other crimes is currently being established.
Quote from the SSU: "Reminder: if someone tries to recruit you to set fire to an Armed Forces vehicle or administrative buildings, organise a terrorist attack, or lay mines – report it immediately to the SSU chatbot "Burn the FSB guy."
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