SBU detains Russian agents who set fire to relay cabinets in Kyiv, Volyn regions
Officers of Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) and National Police have neutralized two groups of Russian agents who, under orders from the Russian FSB, carried out arson attacks in Kyiv and Volyn regions.
The SBU reported this development, according to Ukrinform.
The primary targets of the attackers were Defense Force vehicles and relay cabinets belonging to Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railway), which regulate train movements.
In Kyiv region, a 22-year-old local military contract serviceman was remotely recruited by Russian operatives. He then involved two unemployed acquaintances in the sabotage, lured by promises of quick earnings in exchange for collaborating with the Russians.
The perpetrators set fire to two relay cabinets on railway lines that manage train traffic through Kyiv. They purchased flammable liquids and a screwdriver, which they used to break into the relay systems before dousing their technological components with gasoline.
Two other suspects were apprehended in Volyn region after setting fire to a Ukrainian Armed Forces service vehicle undergoing maintenance following front-line missions.
The suspects were identified as an 18-year-old student at a local vocational school and his 15-year-old accomplice.
During searches, law enforcement seized mobile phones containing evidence of their communications with Russian handlers, along with clothing worn during the arson incidents.
The suspects have been charged under multiple articles of Ukraine’s Criminal Code.
If convicted, they face sentences ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment with confiscation of property.
As reported by Ukrinform, the National Police recorded over 340 incidents of arson involving military vehicles in 2024.