Russian law enforcement authorities said Wednesday that they arrested a 24-year-old man accused of blowing up a soldier’s car on instructions from Ukraine.
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed the man had gathered information about a defense enterprise in Siberia’s Altai region, set fire to a vehicle with pro-war symbols and built two improvised explosive devices.
One of the bombs was allegedly used to blow up a vehicle belonging to an active-duty Russian soldier in the town of Naro-Fominsk, 70 kilometers (43 miles) southwest of Moscow.
Russian Interior Ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk said the car’s owner was currently “in the special military operation zone,” suggesting that no one was killed or injured in the alleged attack.
Volk and the FSB claimed the arrested man had contacted and received instructions from a Ukrainian handler via social media.
FSB video shared by state news agencies showed agents arresting the man, followed by his testimony, where he claimed to have been wired at least 160,000 rubles ($1,900) for blowing up a vehicle.
The video also showed agents searching a parked car that showed signs of damage from an explosion.
The 24-year-old man faces up to 20 years in prison on charges of terrorism.
Russia’s FSB said it was seeking to press additional charges of treason and the illegal assembly of explosives, which could result in life imprisonment if found guilty.
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