A woman in Russia’s Yaroslavl Region stands accused of collecting intelligence to direct drone strikes for Kiev
A woman in Russia’s Yaroslavl Region is under investigation for terrorism after she allegedly agreed to help Ukraine launch drone attacks deep inside the country, the Russian security service, the FSB, announced on Tuesday.
The suspect is said to be in her mid-30s and living in the town of Uglich, some 200 km north of Moscow. According to the FSB statement, she collected intelligence about critical infrastructure in the region on behalf of Ukrainian special services, which she knew would be used for attempted acts of terrorism.
Footage released by the FSB includes screenshots from messages the woman allegedly exchanged with her Ukrainian handlers in late May.
One of her texts expresses the hope that Ukrainian drones would penetrate deep inside Russia to stir anti-government sentiment. In another one, the suspect apparently refused to target conscription centers and railroads, but agreed to collect intelligence on hydropower plants. The handler promised to “blow them all up.”
There was also some surveillance footage of the suspect, including of her filming the Uglich Hydroelectric Station on the Volga River.
If convicted, the woman faces up to 20 years in jail for terrorism.
READ MORE: ‘Treason is worse than death’ – RT editor-in-chief on failed assassination plot
The FSB regularly reports catching persons suspected of doing various illegal missions on Kiev’s behalf. A high-profile case revealed last week involved a neo-Nazi group, members of which were accused of preparing assassinations of RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan and another prominent journalist, Ksenia Sobchak.
