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Ukraine’s State Security Services (SBU) reports that it has arrested some of the suspects in today’s attack in Kharkiv. RFE/RL posts this video and report on their liveblog:
Ukraine’s SBU state security service has released a video showing the February 22 detention of suspects who allegedly planned to carry out guerilla attacks targeting Ukrainian military personnel in Kharkiv, where earlier in the day at least two people were killed when a peace march was bombed.
The SBU says it recovered a Russian-made grenade launcher from the suspects and claims the detainees have admitted to receiving wepaons, and instructions from inidividuals with ties to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB). The SBU claims the “leader of the criminal group” met with FSB officers across the border in the southern Russian city of Belogorod to report on the group’s purported diversionary activities and to receive instructions for new actions.
The video shows Ukrainian security forces pulling over a vehicle, arresting its occupants, and finding an RPG inside.
Mashable reports that at least two people have been killed, including one police officer, and 11 have been injured, including four police officers, at a peace march in Kharkiv when a bomb went off. The Ukrainian government is reporting that this was an “assassination” and they have several suspects in custody — suspects with direct ties to Russia:
While details of the attack remain murky, Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) spokesperson Markian Lubkivsky reported that four suspects in what he called the “terrorist act” had been apprehended.
He told Ukraine’s 112 Television that the suspects had received help from Russia in carrying out the attack.
“They are Ukrainian citizens who underwent instruction and received weapons in the Russian Federation, in Belgorod,” Lubkivsky said, referring to a nearby Russian city across the border.
This video is graphic:
Translation: The apartment of a volunteer and activist in Odessa was saved from a powerful explosion only by the late return home of one of the members of her family.
Iringa Angelova of Odessa wrote on her Facebook page (translation by The Interpreter):
It has reached us. Half an hour ago sappers disabled an explosive device placed under our doors. It had a timing mechanism, 3 kg. of TNT (they didn’t skimp any). What should I do? Yuliya found the package at night, returning from the movies. She saved our lives…The residents were removed.
While they were de-mining, I prayed that the package with a New Year’s drawing would have things left behind by the homeless. But my prayers didn’t reach…
February 19 was Chinese New Year’s.
Irina Angelova reported in another Facebook page today that police sent a sapper to detonate the bomb with a robot.
Two people have been killed this morning during a rally in Kharkiv, regional media report (earlier reports said three persons but Ukrainian TV Hromadske has corrected this to 2 people).
— Catherine A. Fitzpatrick