The Russian intelligence service announced, this Thursday morning, the arrest of Ukrainian "saboteurs". According to the FSB, these men planned attacks against the electrical installations of two nuclear power plants on Russian territory. An investigation was opened for "sabotage" and "trafficking in explosives". Those arrested could face up to 20 years in prison. The information comes, for the moment, only from Moscow, no statement has been made on the Ukrainian side.
What are they accused of?
According to the FSB, a group of Ukrainians "tried to blow up about thirty power supply lines of the Leningrad and Kalinin nuclear power plants" in the northwest of the country in early May.
"This was expected to lead to the shutdown of nuclear reactors, disrupt the normal operation of nuclear power plants and cause significant damage to Russia's economy and reputation," the source said.
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In fact, according to the FSB, a high-voltage line pylon exploded. In addition, mines were found "at the foot of four other high-voltage lines of the Leningrad nuclear power plant", not far from St. Petersburg, and others were reportedly deposited near seven pylons of high-voltage lines connected to the Kalinin power plant (between St. Petersburg and Moscow).
The intelligence service claimed to have discovered, in the suspects, 36.5 kg of explosives and sixty detonators.
What is the context?
At the beginning of May, the date mentioned by the FSB in this case, Russia had experienced several attacks and sabotage: two freight trains had derailed and a fire had broken out in an oil depot after a drone attack.
Moscow had also accused Ukraine of trying to attack the Kremlin. An announcement that Volodymyr Zelensky's adviser, Mykhailo Podoliak, had analyzed as a Russian "staging" aimed at "preparing a context".
Who are the alleged "saboteurs"?
Again, the information comes only from Moscow. The two people arrested, both Ukrainians, are believed to be Alexander Maystrouk, a man born in 1978, and Eduard Ussatenko, born in 1974. A third person, a Russian-Ukrainian named Yuri Kishchak, born in 1963, is also wanted by the FSB in the same case.
Two Russians were also arrested on suspicion of being "accomplices of the saboteurs". They are accused by the intelligence service of providing means of communication and vehicles with false license plates.
