Russian special services officers detained a member of Ukrainian extremist organizations in Crimea who was planning a terrorist attack on the peninsula. According to the FSB Public Relations Center (DSP), the attacker is a citizen of Russia.

“The Russian Federation’s security service in the city of Saki of the Republic of Crimea has detained a Russian citizen who is a supporter of Nazi ideology and a member of Ukrainian extremist organizations who planned to carry out an explosion in one of the administrative buildings in Crimea,” the statement said.

During a search of the detainee’s garage, FSB officers found a homemade explosive device ready for use, as well as components and tools for the manufacture of IEDs. In addition, Molotov cocktails were found.

It is noted that special services continue investigative actions and operational-search measures.

“The investigative unit of the Office of the FSB of Russia in the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol opened a criminal case under the articles of the criminal code of the Russian Federation, providing for responsibility for preparing for a terrorist act and illegal manufacturing of explosive devices,” the FSB emphasized in the TsOS.

According to the Kryminform news agency, the name of the detainee is Oleg Prikhodko.

  • Archive photo
  • © Maxim Vetrov / RIA News

Anti-terrorist activities in Crimea

In March 2019, FSB officers in the Crimea conducted a special operation, in which 20 people were detained. All of them were members of the Hizb ut-Tahrir terrorist organization *. Attackers spread terrorist ideology among residents of the Crimean peninsula, recruited Crimean Muslims into their ranks.

A month later, an active participant in the Ukrainian radical organization Right Sector ** Igor Pirozhok (Roman Chirka) was detained in the Moscow region. A criminal case was instituted against him under part 1.1 of article 282.2 and part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of Russia (“Organization and participation in the activities of an extremist organization”).

At the same time, according to the data of the head of the Main Directorate for Combating Extremism of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, Major General of Police Oleg Ilinykh, over the first half of the year 972 crimes of a terrorist nature and 14 facts of “organizing an extremist community” and 90 cases of the activity of such groups were revealed.

In addition, since the beginning of the year, law enforcement officials and special services have been able to prevent at least 15 terrorist attacks. As Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Nikolai Patrushev noted at the beginning of October, four terrorist attacks were averted in the cities of the Central Federal District of the Russian Federation - Tula, Vladimir, Tambov and Voronezh.


Seizure of the arsenal in the garage cooperative of Sevastopol

In addition, on Thursday, October 10, the press service of the border control of the FSB in the Republic of Crimea announced the seizure of a whole arsenal of weapons from two residents of Sevastopol. They intended to sell part of the weapon as souvenirs.

“As a result of measures taken in two boxes of the Cypress-3 garage cooperative owned by residents of Sevastopol born in 1974 and 1977, objects were found that were similar in appearance to weapons and ammunition from the Great Patriotic War. The owners of the “arsenal” did not have any documents for the identified weapons, ”the agency notes.

In total, men kept 17 units of firearms, including machine guns, machine guns, rifles and pistols, including modern models. Also seized over 520 pieces of ammunition, three hand grenades and 14 units of cold steel.

A criminal case has been instituted against residents of Sevastopol under Part 2 of Article 222 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation or carrying of weapons, their main parts, ammunition, committed by a group of persons by prior agreement”). This article provides for a punishment of imprisonment of up to six years with a fine of up to 100 thousand rubles.

* “Party of Islamic Liberation” (“Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami”) - the organization was recognized as terrorist by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of February 14, 2003.

** “Right Sector” - the Ukrainian association of radical nationalist organizations, recognized as extremist and banned in Russia (decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 11/17/2014).