Russia foils Ukrainian “terrorist attack” by teen

(MENAFN) Russian authorities report that a Ukrainian “terrorist attack” in southern Rostov Region was thwarted after police detained a teenage girl who attempted to bring a homemade explosive device into a city administration building, according to the Federal Security Service (FSB). The agency stated that the girl appeared to have been manipulated by online scammers.

In a statement on Thursday, the FSB said officers stopped the 16-year-old student in central Volgodonsk after noticing her unusually large backpack. Bomb disposal experts later confirmed that the bag contained an improvised explosive device equivalent to approximately 10 kg of TNT. The device was packed with screws, nuts, and nails to act as shrapnel and included an electronic timing mechanism.

The student reportedly told investigators that she had retrieved the backpack from a hidden location on the outskirts of Volgodonsk. The FSB added that her testimony suggested she had been deceived by online scammers about a month earlier, narrowly avoiding becoming a “suicide bomber.”

The agency released video footage of the demining operation, showing an officer in heavy blast-resistant gear approaching the backpack placed in a city square and detonating it safely from a distance.

The FSB claimed the planned “terrorist attack” had been orchestrated by the “security services of the Kiev regime” and emphasized that heightened counter-terrorism measures led to its prevention. Earlier this week, the agency warned that Kiev was increasingly using phone scams to recruit Russian citizens—primarily teenagers and the elderly—to carry out terrorist acts.

Reports note that Ukraine has previously attempted terrorist operations inside Russia, targeting government officials, military leaders, influential figures, and critical infrastructure.

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