In the heart of Zhytomyr, a teenager plotted a terrorist attack against Russia and was also targeted for an explosion himself.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the National Police thwarted a terrorist attack that was set to take place on February 28 in the center of Zhytomyr. A Russian agent, who turned out to be a teenager, planned it near the "Alley of Glory to the Heroes."

This was reported by RBK-Ukraine citing SBU.

"The Security Service and the National Police apprehended an enemy agent who, on behalf of Russia, was preparing a terrorist attack in one of the busiest places in Zhytomyr - near the 'Alley of Glory to the Heroes,'" the statement said.

According to case materials, the enemy's accomplice was a 16-year-old schoolboy from the Zhytomyr region, whom the Russian intelligence service had involved in criminal activities in exchange for money.

"The minor was supposed to leave a homemade explosive device (HED) disguised in a backpack at the Alley," law enforcement officials noted.

At that moment, the occupiers planned to detonate the explosive remotely along with their agent.

"Thus, the Russian intelligence service hoped to achieve two goals: to carry out a bloody terrorist attack with a high number of casualties, and to eliminate their agent as a 'superfluous witness,'" the SBU emphasized.

The counterintelligence of the SBU preemptively exposed the enemy's plan and caught the perpetrator "in the act" as the young man approached the site of the planned attack.

According to the investigation, the schoolboy made the HED himself following instructions from his Russian handler. To conceal the explosives, he placed them in a pot, and to enhance their destructive power, he further filled the explosives with metal screws.

Then, instead of going to school, the young man took a taxi to Zhytomyr to prepare for the attack. Throughout the entire journey to the central alley, the agent remained in constant contact with the Russian intelligence officer.

After receiving a "report" of his arrival at the destination, the occupiers were supposed to activate the HED using a call to a mobile phone that was connected to the explosives.

However, thanks to the proactive actions of law enforcement, the tragedy was averted. The perpetrator faces up to 12 years in prison with property confiscation.

Russian Terrorism in Ukraine

On February 19, law enforcement apprehended four suspects in a terrorist attack that resulted in military casualties in Mykolaiv. The individuals involved were teenagers from the Poltava region.

Additionally, the Russian GRU was preparing a terrorist attack during rush hour in one of Ukraine's hypermarkets, attempting to assassinate the head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), Vasyl Maliuk.

Furthermore, SBU exposed FSB agents who were trying to recruit local residents for terrorist activities in the Kyiv region via Telegram. The criminals planned explosions at law enforcement and prosecutor's office facilities.