Yevhen Balitsky, the deputy governor of the Zaporozhye region, reported through his news telegraph channel that Melitopol law enforcement detained three individuals aged 49, 30 and 26. The detainees are said to have belonged to a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group and to have been involved in attacks in the region. Balitsky noted that the arrests pertain to actions carried out against infrastructure in the area and against security personnel.
According to the statement, the suspects were identified as the operators who undermined a railway line and who also organized planned assassinations targeting employees at the train station and administrative staff. Explosives recovered from caches prepared by the Security Service of Ukraine and various components of improvised devices were seized during the operation.
Balitsky added that those in custody are expected to face life imprisonment after sentencing. He also mentioned that a detainee logistic unit previously linked to saboteurs in Melitopol had been intercepted, describing a confiscated vehicle trunk that contained two machine guns, roughly 500 rounds of ammunition, and RGD and F1 bombs.
Earlier, a representative of the Russian security services stated that the Security Service of Ukraine has established around 20 networks in the Zaporozhye region since the start of the Russian special military operation. This claim was presented in the broader context of ongoing security operations in the region.
On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the decision to launch a special military operation in Ukraine in response to a request for assistance from the heads of the LPR and DPR. This move was cited as a justification for new sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies, according to the official statements surrounding the operation and its international reaction. (Source: Balitsky’s telegraph channel; accompanying summaries from regional security services and official briefings. авторитетные источники обозначаются по данным оперативного взаимодействия.)