Ukraine foil mass terrorism plot in Kiev

A terrorist plot that was set to cause mass casualties in Ukrainian capital, Kiev, has been foiled by the country’s security service, reports said.

Ukraine’s counter intelligence agency said that a Ukrainian woman living in rebel-held Luhansk was found 800 kilometers away in Kiev with a bomb in her bag.

“The explosives were the equivalent of more than three kilograms of dynamite – equal to 30 grenades,” explained security advisor Markiyan Lubkivsky.

“Had a terrorist attack taken place in the crowded area, mass casualties would have been unavoidable,” he added.

The woman, identified as Anastasia Kovalenko, is a resident of Luhansk. She is alleged to have arrived in the Ukrainian capital on December 17.

Lubkivsky alleged the attack had likely been orchestrated by Russian military intelligence.

The Ukrainian security service showed pictures of what it claimed was the explosive device in the woman’s bag, and what they said was her “confession video”.

A senior Ukrainian official claimed she was being handled by a Russian, codenamed “Konstantin.”

“Konstantin gave me a bag containing something that would make the Ukrainian soldiers uncomfortable,” the woman said in the video. “When I got on the bus I knew that there were explosives in that bag.”

Ukraine’s security service did not reveal how the woman came to their attention.