SBU Arrests Minors in Mykolaiv Terror Attack Linked to Russia

During the day, the SBU and the National Police detained Russian intelligence agents who were preparing a terrorist attack in Mykolaiv on February 14 this year on the order of the Kremlin. All the necessary evidence has been collected and their connection with the enemy has been fully documented.

According to the SBU, Russian aggressors used a woman from Poltava region to blow up a car bomb with explosives near a cafe in the center of Mykolaiv.

As a result of the incident, the woman and three servicemen were killed, and seven other people sustained injuries of varying severity.

SBU CI quickly detained the accomplices of the crime - four minors from Poltava region aged 14 to 17. These teenagers were recruited through Telegram channels offering "easy money".

On the instructions of the Russian special services, the boys made an improvised explosive device (IED), hid it in a backpack and handed it over to a woman who came to Mykolaiv to allegedly transfer money to a local resident.

Unaware that she was holding an explosive, she approached the parking lot near a cafe where Ukrainian soldiers were standing.

As the woman approached the military, Russian special services remotely activated the explosives via a call to her cell phone. As it turned out, the enemy had been preparing the elimination of their agent in advance to eliminate the witness of the terrorist attack. As a result of the explosion, she and three soldiers were killed, and seven other citizens were hospitalized with injuries of varying severity.

Meanwhile, the underage suspects returned home after completing the mission, expecting money from the occupiers. They were detained by Ukrainian law enforcement officers, who seized cell phones with evidence of contacts with the FSB, as well as components for making explosives.

To date, four suspects have been charged with a terrorist act committed by prior conspiracy, which resulted in the death of people.

The operation was carried out by the SBU and the National Police under the procedural supervision of the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Mykolaiv and Poltava regions.

The offenders are in custody. Despite their young age, they face life imprisonment.

On February 14, an explosion occurred in Mykolaiv. Law enforcement and rescuers were working at the scene. Several people were injured in the attack, some of whom were taken away by ambulance. The area around the explosion site was cordoned off with tape.

The incident took place on Pohranichna Street, near a catering establishment. The Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council confirmed that an explosion occurred on February 14, which resulted in the deaths of people. However, the information that it was "revenge" of the TCC for the mobilization of the victim's son is not true.

As a result of the terrorist attack, three deminers were killed, who gave their lives fulfilling their duty and saving people from explosive devices. The staff of the Center for Mine Action expressed sincere condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of the victims. They called for support for the families of the victims and for participation in fundraising.

Анна Бальчінос