The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has announced it neutralised a group of 19 agents from the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) plotting arson attacks on shopping centres, petrol stations, pharmacies and markets across Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic States.
“As a result of a special operation in various regions of our state, a group of FSB agents who were preparing to set fires in places with large gatherings of people has been neutralised,” the SBU stated in a press release on July 25.
The alleged “organiser” of the group and an accomplice were captured by SBU agents and police in the Western Ukraine region of Ivano-Frankivsk.
According to the SBU, the group was in contact with Russian secret service officials who co-ordinated their activities remotely.
The 19 alleged members of the terrorist cell were distributed across Ivano-Frankivsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava in central Ukraine and Zaporizhia in the Southeast. It was claimed they were also attempting to recruit potential saboteurs by offering money.
Those tasked with setting fires in busy locations in Poland and the Baltic States were to enter EU territory using fake documents provided by the group, authorities said.
The goal of these actions was to destabilise these EU countries amid the ongoing escalation of the conflict between both parties.
During 37 raids on residences, cars and garages of the suspects, Ukrainian authorities said they seized mobile phones, memory cards and fake documents, as well as a machine gun, pistols, ammunition, silencers, bank cards and cash.
Conversely, Russia has blamed Ukraine for various acts of sabotage within Russian territory, including attacks on railway lines, military depots and other strategic targets.
The ongoing war between the two nations has seen an increase in such clandestine operations, as both seek to undermine each other’s stability and military capabilities.
Such sabotage activities are part of a broader strategy, where both Ukraine and Russia have employed covert operations in a bid to gain strategic advantages without engaging in open, large-scale battles.
In addition to physical sabotage, there have been numerous reports of cyber attacks attributed to both sides.
These have targeted government networks, financial institutions and other critical digital infrastructure.
The dismantling of the alleged FSB cell by Ukraine has underscored the high stakes and persistent nature of this covert conflict, highlighting the continuous efforts by both nations to destabilise each other through various means.
COMMENT: Ukraine has got itself in a bind with unrealistic demands. With a likely change of wind in Washington, Kyiv would be wise to start changing its tune, writes @Jay_Conz. https://t.co/PeyS6g261c
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) July 25, 2024
