Russian-led saboteurs behind bombing near recruitment center caught in Berdychiv
Source: Security Service of Ukraine
Ukrainian law enforcement agencies have arrested two Russian agents who set off a homemade bomb near a military recruitment center in Berdychiv, Zhytomyr Oblast.
The incident occurred on December 24, but the SBU and National Police officers captured them within hours.
The first suspect, a 41-year-old former convict and internally displaced person from Mariupol, carried out the bombing. Authorities arrested him just two hours after the explosion. His accomplice, a 23-year-old Berdychiv local, was nabbed a few hours later.
The female accomplice, a drug addict, reportedly came under the radar of Russian intelligence while looking for odd jobs on Telegram channels. Following instructions from her Russian handler, she made the explosive device. Hiding it in a food container, she passed the bomb to the male suspect, who traveled to Berdychiv to carry out the mission.
The saboteur placed the package at the recruitment center’s entrance and detonated it remotely using a mobile phone and a homemade detonator. For added proof of execution, he set up another phone in a box across the street to livestream the explosion to his handler.
Remarkably, no injuries occurred during the attack.
Law enforcement detained the saboteur as he attempted to flee to Kyiv while his accomplice was caught at her partner’s residence in Berdychiv. During searches, investigators seized phones and SIM cards containing incriminating evidence.
Both suspects are facing terrorism charges under Article 258 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code.
Amendments to Ukraine’s enforcement proceedings legislation, initiated by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, have entered into force. Among other measures, the reform provides for the automated lifting of attachments on bank accounts immediately after debts in enforcement proceedings have been fully settled. The main practical benefit for citizens is the complete elimination of the need to contact an enforcement officer in person and wait for paper decisions once the debt has been paid.
The 157th Separate Mechanized Brigade has received another batch of supplies as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front military initiative. This time, the military received seven quad bikes and four mobile shower and bath units.
In my previous column, I wrote about social innovations in Ukraine. Those innovations are part of civic resilience and the democratization of security, which Europe is paying close attention to right now. The EU is trying to work out how to spread responsibility for its own security across society as a whole, rather than leaving it to institutions alone. It is looking for concrete ways to bring ordinary people into the work of defense and resistance.
Petro Poroshenko’s lawyers have appealed to the High Anti-Corruption Court demanding that NABU be obligated to register proceedings regarding the fact of exerting influence on the court and to recognize Petro Poroshenko as a victim in the case of the Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Iryna Mudra, due to her pressure on Supreme Court judges who were considering a lawsuit to overturn sanctions.
Internationally recognized brands and financial institutions should direct capital to Ukraine now, not waiting for the hostilities to end. This was emphasized by Rinat Akhmetov, president of FC Shakhtar, during a working visit to UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, where he met with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.