Engineer with Russian Citizenship Arrested in Ivano-Frankivsk for Attempting to Detonate Explosives Against Law Enforcement
In Ivano-Frankivsk, law enforcement officials have arrested a former engineer who attempted to detonate homemade explosives against police officers. The suspect, a Russian citizen, had previously been in contact with the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).
In a significant operation in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukrainian law enforcement agencies have apprehended a former engineer who constructed homemade explosives and attempted to use them against police officers. The arrested individual holds Russian citizenship and had previously engaged with the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB). Following the onset of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he relocated to occupied territories, where he came under the scrutiny of the aggressor's special services.
According to information provided by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the police of Ivano-Frankivsk region, the arrest was part of a coordinated operation. The SBU's statement read: "The Security Service and the National Police detained a man in Prykarpattia who manufactured a homemade explosive device." The suspect had set up a tripwire explosive device in front of the secondary entrance of a building, which was intended to detonate as law enforcement officers entered the premises.
Experts have classified the device as an explosive of heightened danger. Bomb disposal experts who arrived at the scene promptly neutralized it using detonation methods. Preliminary reports indicate that the homemade explosive was equipped with shrapnel made from self-tapping screws, underscoring the serious intentions of the detainee.
According to police information, the arrested man is an engineer by education, which enabled him to independently design the explosive device, fabricate it, and prepare it for use. It is known that he previously worked in the oil and gas sector, indicating his technical knowledge and skills.
Following the onset of Russian aggression, the man frequently visited occupied territories, raising suspicions among security services. During the first year of the full-scale invasion, he traveled to the occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region and only returned to the territory controlled by Ukrainian authorities in 2025. After his return, he settled near a military facility in the Ivano-Frankivsk district, which could have been part of his plans.
During the arrest, law enforcement officials discovered and seized several items indicating his criminal intentions. Among the confiscated items were hand-drawn schematics of an electric detonation network, wires, and a sapper tester for controlling the detonation of explosives electrically, as well as notebooks with rough notes, three flash drives containing spy software, and mobile phones along with SIM cards from Russian mobile operators.
At present, the man has been formally charged under part 1 of Article 263 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which pertains to the illegal handling of weapons, military supplies, or explosives. The court has chosen to impose a preventive measure of detention, reflecting the seriousness of the situation and the threat he posed to society.