The detainees in the Zaporozhye region, who may have participated in the attacks, were found to have acted under the direction of an employee of the Security Service of Ukraine SBU, according to reports cited by TASS from a regional law enforcement source.
During ongoing operational search activities it was established that the detainees carried out orders from the SBU officer, the agency said through its contact at the time.
Investigators noted that the attackers used funds they had secured from pre stocked caches to finance their criminal actions.
It was further determined that the detainees transmitted photographs showing the locations of objects and equipment belonging to the Russian Armed Forces to their coordinators. The three individuals now face potential life sentences in a case that continues to unfold.
On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the decision to initiate a special military operation in Ukraine in response to a request for support from the leaders of the LPR and DPR.
The move to launch the operation also served as a justification for new sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies, according to official statements at the time.
Additional real-time updates were provided through continuous broadcasts as developments occurred across the region.