The Security Service of Ukraine has completed a pre-trial investigation into an FSB agent who was preparing a terrorist attack in central Lviv in July this year. The indictment has already been submitted to court.
According to counterintelligence materials, the suspect was acting on behalf of Russian special services and was transporting an explosive device intended for an attack against Ukrainian law enforcement officers. SBU operatives uncovered the hostile plan in advance and detained the agent while he was on his way to Lviv with the explosive.
Following the arrest, the Security Service carried out a series of investigative and operational measures to identify the suspect and document the criminal activities of his Russian-based handler.
The investigation established that:
- the assignment was carried out by a 41-year-old resident of Pustomyty in the Lviv region;
- the man had a criminal past, including convictions for murder, drug-related crimes, and fraud;
- after his release from prison, he attracted the attention of Russian operatives while seeking “easy money” through Telegram channels;
- in exchange for financial reward, he agreed to prepare a terrorist attack near an administrative building of Ukrainian law enforcement agencies.
It was also confirmed that the agent first traveled to Khmelnytskyi, where he retrieved an improvised explosive device from a hidden cache using coordinates provided by the FSB. He then headed to the local bus station, planning to travel to Lviv to receive further instructions from his handler.
The suspect was detained during boarding of a scheduled bus. Law enforcement officers seized the explosive device and a smartphone used to communicate with the Russian curator.
The man is charged with high treason committed under martial law (Part 2, Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). He remains in custody and faces a potential life sentence with confiscation of property.
The operation was conducted by SBU officers in the Khmelnytskyi region under the procedural supervision of the regional prosecutor’s office.