Russia arrests 25 Ukrainians for terrorist attacks

Twenty-five Ukrainians suspected of planning terrorist attacks on Russian soil have been arrested, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) says in a statement.

The FSB said on Thursday that the detained were planning attacks between March 14 and 16 in the southern and central parts of the country, including in Rostov, Volgograd, Tver, Orel, Belgorod, Kalmykia and Tatarstan regions.

“Twenty-five people have been identified and detained as a result of measures performed in connection with the obtained information about the intentions of members of the so-called Maidan’s Right Sector to carry out sabotaging and terrorist acts on the Russian territory between March 14-16, 2014 in seven Russian regions,” Russia’s Ria Novosti news agency quoted the FSB as saying.

A source in the security forces also told RT that at least three of the detainees were given orders by the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) before being sent to the country.

The source added that those arrested worked in Russia as employees of a Ukrainian firm and that they were tasked with taking photos of the deployment sights and movements of Russia’s military in regions bordering Ukraine.

They are also accused of making contacts with extremist groups in the country.

The SBU denounced Moscow’s claims as “nonsense.”

The announcement came hours after the SBU said that Russian security agents had been present at the SBU headquarters aiding former Ukrainian authorities during Kiev anti-government protests in February, in which dozens were killed.

The FSB denied any involvement in the Ukraine protests, telling Russia’s Ria that, “Let these statements be on the conscience of the Ukrainian Security Service.”