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FSB Accuses Ukraine of Using Elderly Russian Women as Suicide Bombers

FSB

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) on Monday accused Ukrainian intelligence of recruiting elderly Russian women as suicide bombers through online fraud and psychological manipulation.

According to the FSB, five elderly women were tricked into selling their homes and losing their savings via calls on Telegram and WhatsApp. The women were then allegedly instructed to track the homes and vehicles of Russian servicemen and deliver improvised explosive devices disguised as household items, supposedly as a way to recover their losses.

“The detonation of these devices would have killed both the intended targets and the women themselves, effectively using them as so-called ‘human bombs,’” the agency said, adding that this would allow Ukrainian operatives to “eliminate unwanted witnesses and avoid returning the promised money.”

State media published FSB footage showing masked agents detaining at least two elderly women, as well as surveillance videos of three others carrying bags. One appeared to place a chessboard on a black SUV, which was later examined by a bomb disposal robot.

Three of the women reportedly told investigators they had been defrauded and lost their savings. The FSB said it has pressed criminal charges of attempted terrorism and illegal handling of explosives, but it did not say whether the women were in police custody or under house arrest.

The law enforcement agency urged relatives of elderly people, “especially those living alone,” and parents of minors to warn them about the risks of fraud and recruitment into terrorist activity, adding that Russians should avoid unsolicited contacts via messaging apps.

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