The would-be assassin tried to plant a bomb under the target\u2019s car in St. Petersburg, the agency said<\/p>\n
Russia\u2019s Federal Security Service (FSB) has thwarted a Ukrainian plot to assassinate the head of a Russian defense company in St. Petersburg, the agency claimed\u00a0on Thursday.The male suspect, dressed in women\u2019s clothes \u201cin an attempt to mislead the investigation\u201d but was apprehended by officers while planting the bomb on the target\u2019s vehicle, it added. Footage released by the agency captured the man posing as an elderly lady.
\nAccording to the FSB, Ukrainian spy services recruited a man and two women online to carry out the planned car bomb attack.
\nOn the orders of their handlers, the women surveilled their target before obtaining an improvised explosive device from a stash at a local cemetery and handing it over to the would-be assassin, the agency said in a statement.
\nCriminal cases have been launched against the suspects on preparing a terrorist act and illegal possession of explosives, the FSB said. They could also face charges of participating in a terrorist organization and treason, which carry a punishment of up to life in prison, it added.<\/p>\n
The agency warned that \u201cUkrainian intelligence agencies are continuing to actively search the internet for potential perpetrators of terrorist attacks and sabotage,\u201d and urged the public to stay vigilant and refrain from communicating with unknown contacts on messaging apps.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: FSB detains North African \u2018recruited by Kiev for spying\u2019 (VIDEO)<\/p>\n
Ukraine has assassinated several officials and public figures inside Russia since the escalation of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev in 2022, often using local operatives. Last year, a man recruited by Kiev killed Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, commander of Russia\u2019s Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Forces, and his aide with a bomb hidden inside an electric scooter parked outside Kirillov\u2019s Moscow home.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The would-be assassin tried to plant a bomb under the target\u2019s car in St. Petersburg, the agency said Russia\u2019s Federal Security Service (FSB) has thwarted a Ukrainian plot to assassinate…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18386,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t