An explosion near a café in southern Ukraine is suspected to have been caused by a so-called ‘involuntary suicide bomber’ working for Russian intelligence, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Two people were killed and eight others injured in the blast in the city of Mykolaiv on February 14, local police said.
Officials quoted by the Kyiv Post claimed that the incident is the latest example of Russian security agencies recruiting Ukrainians under false pretenses to plant explosives and remotely detonating the devices before the couriers can escape.
Ben Remfrey, head of explosives disposal organization PCM & MAT Kosovo, told the publication that the suspected bomber was an unidentified woman, most likely recruited by a Russian agent and promised a large payment to deliver a wheeled trolley bag containing an explosive device.
The device was likely detonated remotely by a Russian operative who was watching nearby as she left the bag, killing her instantly, the website reported.
Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation rejected claims by pro-Kremlin outlets, including the Izvestia state news agency, that the bombing was deliberate and that the woman involved had targeted members of the regional Territorial Recruitment Center in retaliation for her son being forced to join the Ukrainian military.
Police said the woman had sons aged 23 and 13, but the eldest was not signed up with the forces, the Kyiv Post reported.
Remfrey, a respected expert who is said to be in contact with individuals close to those involved in the incident, named the male who was killed as Vadym.
Along with three of the injured, he was an explosive ordnance disposal operator who had recently completed training with Remfrey’s organization and had returned to Ukraine just one week earlier.
Officials quoted by the Kyiv Post claimed that the incident is the latest example of Russian security agencies recruiting Ukrainians under false pretenses to plant explosives and remotely detonating the devices before the couriers can escape.
Ben Remfrey, head of explosives disposal organization PCM & MAT Kosovo, told the publication that the suspected bomber was an unidentified woman, most likely recruited by a Russian agent and promised a large payment to deliver a wheeled trolley bag containing an explosive device.
The device was likely detonated remotely by a Russian operative who was watching nearby as she left the bag, killing her instantly, the website reported.
Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation rejected claims by pro-Kremlin outlets, including the Izvestia state news agency, that the bombing was deliberate and that the woman involved had targeted members of the regional Territorial Recruitment Center in retaliation for her son being forced to join the Ukrainian military.
Police said the woman had sons aged 23 and 13, but the eldest was not signed up with the forces, the Kyiv Post reported.
Remfrey, a respected expert who is said to be in contact with individuals close to those involved in the incident, named the male who was killed as Vadym.
Along with three of the injured, he was an explosive ordnance disposal operator who had recently completed training with Remfrey’s organization and had returned to Ukraine just one week earlier.
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