(MENAFN- UkrinForm) The SBU said this in a statement , Ukrinform reports.

The Russian agent was planning to detonate an improvised explosive device in the city center.

The investigation found that the suspect intended to plant the explosive near a crowded area and report back to his handler in Russia.

The occupiers also planned to remotely detonate the device during peak hours, when the location would be most crowded.

SBU officers uncovered the plot in advance and arrested the agent while he was assembling the explosive device.

Read also: SBU detains Russian agents who coordinated strikes on Kramatorsk and Sloviansk

According to case materials, the suspect is a 37-year-old mobilized serviceman from the frontline town of Myrnohrad in the Donetsk region, who had deserted his military unit and was hiding in Kyiv.

While in AWOL, he began seeking "easy money" through Telegram channels, where he came to the attention of Russian intelligence operatives.

After being recruited, the man received a test assignment from his Russian handler – to gather the coordinates of checkpoints and permanent bases of Ukraine's Defense Forces in the capital.

He was later sent to Zaporizhzhia, where he rented an apartment and purchased components to assemble an IED.

During a search of his residence, law enforcement officers found explosive materials and a miniature camera he intended to place near the planned attack site to record the aftermath.

Based on the collected evidence, SBU investigators charged the agent under several articles of Ukraine's Criminal Code, including Part 2 of Article 111 (high treason committed under martial law), Part 4 of Article 408 (desertion during wartime), Part 2 of Article 15 and Part 1 of Article 263 (illegal handling of explosives), and Part 2 of Article 263-1 (illegal manufacture of explosives or explosive devices).

The suspect has been remanded in custody without the right to post bail. He faces life imprisonment with confiscation of property.

Photo credit: SBU

MENAFN13102025000193011044ID1110191218