The FSB reported on the arrests in Komsomolsk and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

On Thursday morning, FSB officers in the Far East reported the detention of three people in two criminal cases, who are accused of having connections with Ukrainian special services.

In Komsomolsk-on-Amur, two local residents were detained on suspicion of preparing sabotage on the gas pipeline, allegedly “by order of the Ukrainian special services.” This is reported by “Kommersant” with reference to the source. It is confirmed that the detainees are 17 and 18 years old. They were allegedly promised 100,000 rubles each for blowing up the Sakhalin-Khabarovsk-Vladivostok pipeline and cellular towers. A case has been initiated under the article on preparation for a terrorist attack. There are no official comments from the authorities or the detainees’ lawyers yet.

In Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, FSB officers detained a 57-year-old resident, who is suspected of collaborating with the Ukrainian special services. A criminal case was initiated under the article “confidential cooperation with a foreign state”, the suspect was placed in custody, TASS reports.

According to the FSB, the resident, whose name has not been released, has a negative attitude towards Russian politics and does not support Russia’s war against Ukraine. It is asserted that he intentionally established contact with a representative of the Ukrainian special services to help “in activities directed against the security of the Russian Federation.”

• Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian army in Ukraine and the mobilization associated with it, attacks on the buildings of military enlistment offices, administrations and railway facilities have become more frequent in different cities of Russia. The General Staff of the Russian Federation announced that cases of arson of military enlistment centers would be considered acts of terrorism and would be punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Recently, courts qualify such actions as acts of terrorism, even though there are no victims.
• UN experts note a sharp increase in the number of criminal cases on charges of espionage and treason in Russia in 2023.
• The publication “Cold” calculated that in seven months of 2023, 82 criminal cases were initiated, which is four times more than in the whole of 2022 – 20 cases.