Attackers planned terrorist attack at the Memorial of the 411th Battery in Odesa

A couple who were preparing a terrorist attack against the military at the Memorial of the 411th Battery was detained in Odesa. Law enforcement officers seized an explosive device and prevented the tragedy.

This was reported by the press service of the Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office.

The Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office notified the couple of suspicion of preparing a terrorist act by prior conspiracy of a group of persons under Part 1 of Article 14, Part 2 of Article 258 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

According to the investigation, a 35-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman were recruited by Russian special services and acted in favor of the aggressor state. They were promised from 5 to 10 thousand dollars and the opportunity to travel abroad for completing tasks.

The suspect in the terrorist attack. PHOTO: od.gp.gov.ua

The suspects were supposed to pick up an improvised explosive device disguised as a wooden stump in one of Odesa's parks and install it near the Memorial to the Heroic Defense of Odesa by the 411th Battery so that it would explode during the military's presence there.

The offenders kept the explosives at home, waiting for further instructions from Russian special services. Law enforcement officers exposed the crime in advance, prevented the terrorist attack and detained the criminals. During the searches, they seized cell phones with evidence of contacts with the enemy and the explosive device itself. At the request of the Prosecutor's Office, the suspects are currently in custody. The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by the SBU Office in Odesa region.

In early September, SBU CI officers detained a man suspected of organizing a terrorist attack in Odesa on the order of Russian special services. He was manufacturing improvised explosive devices (IEDs), placing them in caches on the sea coast and passing the coordinates to the FSB. Later, the occupiers sent the geolocations to the direct perpetrators, who took the IEDs from the caches.

Анна Бальчінос