Ukrainian 19-year-old detained in Russia after alleged granny disguise plot to assassinate defence official

Russia's Federal Security Service said a 19-year-old Ukrainian man was detained after attempting to plant an explosive device under the car of the head of a Russian arms-manufacturing plant. The suspect allegedly dressed as an elderly woman, or babushka, to reach the target, after collecting the device from a cemetery in St. Petersburg, the FSB said.

Two women linked to the alleged spy ring — described by the FSB as a hairdresser and a groomer — were detained on their way to the airport, the agency said. The FSB released video they described as showing an arrest of a person wearing a long skirt and headscarf. Investigators said the detainees acted on instructions from a supervisor associated with Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate.

Prosecutors said the 19-year-old detainee confessed to being recruited via the Telegram messaging service by Ukrainian secret services and said he planted the device after obtaining the exact location and photos of the parked car. He described travelling by public transport to Sosnovka Park, changing into women’s clothes at about 4 a.m., and placing the device under the car before being detained around 6 a.m. The explosive device was described as a black power bank‑shaped device with magnets, hidden in a stash at a cemetery.

All three detainees were born in 1993, 1994 and 2006, according to Meduza, and their names have not been published. The military plant in question was not clearly identified by authorities. If convicted under Russia's terrorism laws, the group could face life imprisonment, investigators said, and the case remains under investigation by the FSB and other security services.