Perpetrator of Scooter Bomb Attack on Military in Kharkiv Detained
In Kharkiv, authorities have detained the woman responsible for a terrorist attack against Ukrainian servicemen involving a booby-trapped scooter.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) and the National Police announced the arrest.
According to the investigation, Russian operatives recruited a 19-year-old local woman through Telegram job search channels to carry out the attack. She was apprehended swiftly after the incident.
The attack took place on June 20 near a café in a park in Kharkiv’s Industrial District, where the enemy lured servicemen with the promise of a “volunteer” scooter delivery.
As the servicemen approached the scooter, it exploded. One serviceman, aged 29, was killed instantly, while another, aged 26, was hospitalized with serious injuries.
According to law enforcement, a homemade explosive device equivalent to about one kilogram of TNT was installed in the scooter’s trunk. The device had a metal casing.
The investigation revealed that after being recruited, the agent received detailed instructions from her handler on how to manufacture the explosive device at home. She then purchased household chemicals, a battery, wires, and two phones for remote detonation.
The suspect brought the completed explosive to the scooter’s parking spot and hid it in its trunk.
“With the help of a camera disguised at the planned attack site, Russian special services monitored the arrival of the military at the location,” the SSU reported.
After committing the crime, the terrorist tried to go into hiding, but law enforcement detained her just a few hours after the explosion.
During a search, unused components of the explosive device and a phone containing evidence of collaboration with the enemy were seized from her.
Currently, the SSU investigators have formally charged the detainee under Part 3 of Article 258 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (terrorist act resulting in death). She is in custody and faces life imprisonment with confiscation of property.
