He acted on instructions from Russian intelligence.

Ukraine’s security service SBU has thwarted a terror mission orchestrated by Russian intelligence far from the front lines, arresting a 23-year-old man caught red-handed during an attempt to blow up a railway in the Rivne Region.

The suspect, allegedly acting on orders from Russia’s Federal Security Service, was planting remotely-controlled explosives under railway tracks at a key junction used by Ukraine for transporting military equipment to the war zone, the SBU said in a statement on 3 February.

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As no financial incentives were found behind the young man’s actions, toxic ideology and indoctrination by Russian propaganda are believed to be the real reasons as officers found pro-Putin opinions shared on his social media.

The 23-year-old also intended to relocate to Russia upon completion of his mission, which also included gathering information about military facilities in the Lviv Region.

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The suspect, who had previously been detained for desecrating several graves of fallen Ukrainian soldiers, is a Ukrainian national and will be charged with high treason and sabotage under martial law - offenses that carry a potential life sentence and property confiscation.

On 28 February, the SBU also disbanded a Russian spy network that had been collecting intelligence on Ukrainian aircraft and aviation infrastructure.

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