The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has arrested a Russian citizen, born in 1983, on charges of detonating a car bomb in Moscow. The explosion targeted Vassili Prozorov, a former officer of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) who defected to Russia in 2019. Prozorov was injured in the incident.
The FSB stated in a press release that the suspect, who was not named, acted under the orders of Ukrainian special services. The Russian intelligence service claims the Russian citizen had been recruited by the SBU in Ukraine during October 2023, and entered Russia in March. There, he assembled a radio-controlled explosive device and placed it under Prozorov’s vehicle after scouting his residence.
Moscow’s Main Investigative Department has initiated a criminal case for attempted murder and illegal handling of explosives. The investigation may also lead to charges of “Terrorist Act” and “Treason”, both of which could carry a life sentence. The authorities are also seeking to apprehend all involved parties, including any foreign nationals linked to the case.
In March 2019, Prozorov publicly stated that he had been providing intelligence to Russia since 2014, driven by “ideological motivations”, before officially defecting in 2019.
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