Four men have been arrested in Odesa for the assassination of a Ukrainian entrepreneur who helped the country’s armed forces, ordered by Russian intelligence services. The volunteer was killed on 20 January with a home-made explosive device, which detonated near his home, the Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office has reported.
According to Ukrainian prosecutors, the suspects were recruited by Russian intelligence and agreed to carry out the attack for a $2,500 reward. One of them constructed the explosive device with improvised materials, following detailed online instructions from a Russian handler. The others transported and planted the bomb near the volunteer’s fence, next to a parked car. They also set up a mobile phone in live-stream mode to document the attack.
To lure the victim outside, the perpetrators set his car on fire. As he attempted to extinguish the flames, they detonated the bomb, killing him on the spot. The attackers then contacted their handler, who confirmed the successful execution and transferred $1,000 as partial payment.
The suspects were identified and arrested the following day. They have been charged with committing a terrorist act resulting in death and remain in custody without bail. They face up to 15 years in prison or life-term imprisonment.
According to Ukraine’s SBU security service, the suspects were planning another attack on a local police station. Their plan involved setting police vehicles on fire and remotely detonating another explosive device once officers arrived.
Investigators identified the suspects as three drug addicts aged 23 to 45 and a 46-year-old recidivist previously convicted of theft and robbery. The latter was responsible for making and concealing the explosives.
Authorities apprehended them before they could execute their second attack, uncovering their involvement while investigating the volunteer’s murder.
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