THIS IS AN UPDATE TO AN EARLIER REPORT
The explosion that occurred close to the “U Sku” cafeteria on Prykordonnaya Street in the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv on the afternoon of Feb. 14 is now suspected to have been another instance of the Russian security services killing the unsuspecting dupe who delivered the bomb.
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Mikolaiv police confirmed in a post on their official Telegram channel on Friday that two people were killed and eight others injured by the explosion.
At the time this had all the characteristics of yet another attack carried out by a Ukrainian recruited by Russian special services to commit sabotage against the military. This was confirmed by a follow-up post from the police on Saturday.
Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation completely denied reports that appeared on pro-Kremlin propaganda channels including the Izvestia state news agency on Saturday that the attack had been aimed at members of the regional Territorial Recruitment Center (TRC) in revenge for the forced mobilization of the son of a female victim of the attack.
The police investigating the deceased woman confirmed that she had two sons aged 23 and 13, but that the elder one was not serving in the military.
Kyiv Post contacted Ben Remfrey, the Managing Director of PCM & MAT Kosovo, a highly respected European based explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) and landmine clearance training establishment. Having been in contact with those close to some of those involved in the incident, he was able to provide more details that further clarified the circumstances and undermined the Russian disinformation campaign’s version of events.
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The man killed, named only as Vadym, and three of those injured were Ukrainian EOD operators who had recently completed training for their vital tasks with MAT Kosovo and had returned to Ukraine to start their work around a week ago. They were visiting the café to buy “brunch” during a break in clearance operations.
Remfrey said that the bomber was an unnamed woman who seems to have been recruited by a Russian intelligence officer who probably promised her a large sum of money to deliver a device in a wheeled trolley bag to the café.
It now appears that as soon as she placed the bag it was detonated remotely before she had chance to leave, killing her instantly. She is believed to have left a baby
As Kyiv Post has previously reported this is yet another instance that highlights Russian intelligence agencies’ “modus operandi” to recruit Ukrainians, usually with the promise of a large payment, to plant explosives. As the unsuspecting individual places the IED they are being observed and the bomb they have placed is detonated before they could leave.
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