Ukraine detains two repeat offenders accused of planning attacks on Kyiv conscription offices on Russian orders
Ukraine's SBU and National Police said on October 20 that they had detained two repeat offenders in central Kyiv who, on orders from Russian special services, were preparing a series of terrorist attacks on buildings of the Territorial Centers of Recruitment and Social Support (TCC). The suspects were caught during reconnaissance and now face up to 12 years in prison; a third accomplice abroad has been charged in absentia.
Key points
- SBU and National Police detained the two repeat offenders on October 20 while they were conducting reconnaissance near the targets in central Kyiv.
- The intended targets were TCC (Territorial Centers of Recruitment and Social Support) buildings in central Kyiv.
- The attacks were planned, according to the investigation, on orders from Russian special services.
- Suspects weighed multiple attack scenarios: firing grenade launchers, using combat grenades, throwing Molotov cocktails, and detonating improvised explosive devices.
- One suspect is from Chernihiv region with a prior murder conviction; the other is from Sumy region. The two met while serving sentences in the same colony.
- A combat grenade prepared for the attack was found in one suspect's vehicle during detention.
- Both detainees have been charged under Part 1 of Article 14, Part 2 of Article 258 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property; a third accomplice abroad has been charged in absentia.
Why it matters
The case points to an alleged Russian-directed effort to strike Ukrainian military conscription infrastructure in the capital. It also highlights the reported use of repeat offenders recruited through the prison system to carry out such plots, and reflects the operational pattern of secured-facility reconnaissance combined with multiple attack methods. The investigation has already produced formal terrorism charges and an in absentia prosecution of a third participant abroad.
What happened
On October 20, Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) and National Police announced that they had detained two repeat offenders in central Kyiv who were preparing a series of terrorist attacks. According to the investigation, the men were acting on orders from Russian special services and had targeted buildings of the Territorial Centers of Recruitment and Social Support (TCC), the offices through which Ukraine runs military mobilization.
The suspects had considered several attack scenarios: firing grenade launchers at the buildings, throwing Molotov cocktails, using combat grenades, or detonating improvised explosive devices. They were caught while driving around Kyiv in their own car, photographing the secured sites, checking for guards and surveillance cameras, and studying escape routes from each potential target. A combat grenade, prepared for use in the attack, was found in one suspect's vehicle during the detention.
One of the detained men is a resident of Chernihiv region with a prior murder conviction; the other is from Sumy region. The two had met while serving sentences in the same colony. They also planned to recruit a third accomplice, who is currently abroad and has now been charged in absentia.
Both detainees have been charged under Part 1 of Article 14, Part 2 of Article 258 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — preparation of a terrorist act by a group of persons by prior conspiracy — and face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property. They are being held in custody without the right to post bail.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
All reporting on the case comes from Ukrainian outlets — state-affiliated agencies and domestic media — and uniformly frames the detentions as a successful SBU and National Police counter-terrorism operation against an alleged Russian intelligence-directed plot. Coverage centers on the role of the security services, highlights the suspects' criminal backgrounds, and uses language drawn from official SBU channels, including detailed procedural information about the Criminal Code charges, custody without bail, and the in absentia charge against the third accomplice abroad.
Where reporting differs
Accounts differ on the internal hierarchy of the group. A separate version of the story from the Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office, cited by Ukrinform, describes one of the detained men as a criminal authority who organized the plot starting in December 2025 and recruited the accomplices, with payments offered per target (US$15,000–20,000 for a regional TCC, US$50,000 for a city TCC). Other accounts present the two detainees more simply as repeat offenders acting together on Russian orders, without identifying either as the leader.
Background
The Territorial Centers of Recruitment and Social Support (TCC) are the offices through which Ukraine runs military mobilization and conscription, and they have been a politically sensitive target throughout the war. SBU press releases on counter-terrorism operations are a routine channel through which Ukraine publicizes alleged Russian sabotage and intelligence activity inside the country.