The FSB said it had prevented two alleged terrorist attacks in Pyatigorsk targeting members of the security services. The statement was issued by the agency’s Public Relations Center.
According to the FSB, the first suspect was a woman born in 2006. The agency says she was detained while approaching one of the security agencies’ buildings. It says her backpack contained an improvised explosive device with a yield of about two kilograms of TNT equivalent.
After that, the FSB said, a second suspect was detained — a woman born in 1979. According to the agency, she intended to bring a similar device to the site of the first explosion while an investigative task force was working there.
In its release, the FSB said both detainees had acted “on instructions from representatives of the Ukrainian special services” and were allegedly meant to be used as suicide bombers.
Russia’s Investigative Committee opened a criminal case on charges of illegal manufacture of explosives, their transportation, and attempted terrorist attack. The case cites Part 1 of Article 223.1, Paragraph “a” of Part 3 of Article 222, and Part 3 of Article 30 together with Paragraph “a” of Part 2 of Article 205 of the Criminal Code.
The FSB said one of the devices was defused, while the second detonated in a safe location. Footage distributed by security officials shows a backpack exploding after being placed inside an old car tire; the blast occurred near a busy highway with passing traffic.