The SBU detained three men suspected of the explosion near the Pavlohrad military recruitment office

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), together with the National Police, has detained three Ukrainian citizens aged 21 to 22 who are suspected of planting an explosive device near the Territorial Recruitment Center (TCC) in Pavlohrad, Dnipropetrovsk region, on February 2.

This was reported by the SBU press center.

“Following instructions from their handler, one of the suspects—a resident of Pavlohrad—independently manufactured an improvised explosive device (IED) and hid it in a cache near his home. The explosive was filled with nails and bolts to maximize damage upon detonation. The two other agents, residents of Odesa region, traveled to Pavlohrad, where they received the coordinates of the hidden cache. They retrieved the package containing the explosive and planted it near the recruitment center. The suspects also installed a hidden surveillance camera facing the building to record the aftermath of the attack. The occupiers then remotely activated the explosive device by calling a mobile phone connected to it. Law enforcement officers detained the suspects at their homes, where they were hiding and waiting for payment from the occupiers,” the SBU stated.

The men have been charged under Part 2 of Article 258 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Terrorist Act) and face up to 12 years in prison.

Earlier, media outlets reported that an explosion occurred outside the recruitment center in Pavlohrad, injuring a military commissar.