Police and SBU prevent terrorist attack in Ivano-Frankivsk: double explosion was planned

Ukraine’s National Police and Security Service have prevented a terrorist attack near a residential building in Ivano-Frankivsk.

The explosive devices were set to detonate in a parking lot and at the entrance to the building — the second explosion was planned to go off after police officers, rescuers, and medics arrived on the scene.

This was reported by Ukraine’s National Police.

According to police, Russian special services recruited a local resident to help prepare the attack, enlisting him through a Telegram channel offering “easy money.” The recruited man received step-by-step instructions from his handler on how to prepare the crime, choose a location for assembling the explosive devices, maintain secrecy, and plant the explosives.

“Each of the explosive devices was planned to be loaded with approximately six kilograms of explosive material and a large number of metal fragments to maximize the blast radius,” the National Police statement reads.

According to the attack plan, one device was intended for the parking lot and the second was to be placed near the entrance to the residential building. The second explosion was set to go off after emergency services had arrived at the scene of the first blast. Police emphasize that the enemy sought in this way to inflict maximum damage and cause mass casualties among civilians and emergency service workers.

“Thanks to the timely work of SBU counterintelligence, the enemy’s plan was uncovered at the planning stage, after which the potential perpetrator was engaged to work against Russian special services,” the National Police noted.

Following the operation, police called on citizens to remain vigilant: anyone who receives suspicious offers of “easy money” or requests to carry out questionable tasks should immediately report them by calling the special hotline at 102.