Couple recruited by Kiev tried to blow up railroad in Crimea – FSB
A Russian couple who collaborated with Ukrainian military intelligence and tried to blow up a railroad in Crimea has been arrested, the Russian security agency FSB has reported.
The alleged criminals were not identified in the statement on Thursday. The agency said they were in their mid-20s and that the man, who appears to be the primary suspect, is a Russian citizen.
He was recruited by Kiev last October via a messaging app, according to law enforcement. His initial tasks involved taking pictures of Russian air defenses and other military-related locations, such as homes of service members. But later his handler told him to escalate his game.
In April, he and his partner recovered an improvised explosive device provided by the Ukrainian side, which they later attempted to plant on a rail line near the village of Oktyabrskoe in eastern Crimea, just outside of the city of Kerch. They were caught red-handed, the FSB said.
The agency released images of the bomb, as well as an excerpt of the man being questioned. He claimed that before providing the weapon, his Ukrainian handler considered smuggling a small kamikaze drone into Crimea, which the suspect would then use to attack Russian interceptor launchers, but the plan fizzled because “the aircraft got destroyed during transfer.” All the activities allegedly required by the Ukrainians were focused on Kerch.
The Crimean bridge, which connects the peninsula with Krasnodar Region to the east, passes right through the city. The railroad that goes along the link then leads to Oktyabrskoe.
Destroying the Russian bridge is “something that we really want,” Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky told German media earlier this year.
Kiev launched two successful bombings of the heavily-defended structure in 2022 and 2023. The first attempt involved an explosives-rigged truck, while in the second one naval kamikaze drones were used. In both attacks civilians traveling across the Kerch Strait were killed.
