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The Security Service of Ukraine says it prevented a terror attack at the Industrialna subway station in Kharkiv, the agency's press service says.

The special operation was carried out under the procedural guidance of the prosecutor’s office in Kharkiv region.

SBU operatives revealed that the Russian special services had recruited a local resident to organize and carry out the terror attack at one of the city subway stations.

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According to the curators' idea, the explosion was supposed to lead to numerous casualties and destabilization of the social and political situation in the country on the eve of the presidential elections.

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As part of criminal proceedings, opened under Part 2 of Art. 15, Art. 258 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, operatives of the Security Service of Ukraine have documented that the representatives of the special services of the Russian Federation handed over an explosive device with a capacity of 600 grams of TNT, set to be activated by a telephone call.

Russians also instructed the perpetrator on how to execute the attack and paid him a $15,000 reward.

The Security Service of Ukraine has established that the Russian agent had already purchased nails, screws, and bolts to fill an explosive device in order to enhance its destructive effect and increase the number of casualties.

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The SBU assured that during the special operation, no risk to the life and health of citizens was allowed.

As part of the pre-trial investigation, SBU operatives in advance removed the explosive device from the cache, and replaced it with a decoy.

The attacker was detained under Art. 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine.

The pretrial investigation continues.