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Russia’s FSB detains suspect in Crimea gas pipeline sabotage

He is now charged with terrorism offence

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has detained a 43-year-old Russian citizen on suspicion of blowing up a gas pipeline in Crimea, the Russian domestic intelligence agency said in a statement on Wednesday.

“In June 2022, the suspect was recruited by Ukrainian intelligence services while he was in the city of Pavlohrad, Dnipro region, took a reconnaissance and sabotage training course, and was sent to Crimea,” the FSB statement said.

The agency believes that the man sabotaged a gas pipeline in the Crimean village of Koreiz on 23 June by using an improvised explosive device he had received from a third party.

The security agents also reported seizing 2kg of foreign-made C-4 explosive and related materials from his garage.

The accused is now facing a criminal case on charges of committing a terrorist attack and illegally storing explosives. He has been remanded in custody.

On 8 August, the Russian General Prosecutor’s Office issued a warning to the public that attempts to set fire to military draft offices could qualify as acts of terrorism or sabotage. 

The agency said that it had “analysed” recent efforts to set enlistment offices on fire and had concluded that “all these crimes” had been carried out by Russian citizens after receiving instructions from unidentified Ukrainian “agents provocateurs”.