Moscow Court Arrests Suspect in Car Bombing of Former Ukrainian Intelligence Officer

A Moscow court has arrested Vladimir Golovchenko, a suspect in the criminal case involving the car bombing of former SBU (Ukrainian Security Service) employee Vasily Prozorov. Golovchenko was detained until June 12 for his alleged role in the April 12 attack on Prozorov, who had defected to Russia before the start of the special operation in Ukraine.

According to Russian media reports, Golovchenko has pleaded guilty to the charges. The suspect claimed he had been recruited by the Ukrainian Security Service and had been watching Prozorov's car for two and a half months before the assassination attempt. Law enforcement agencies also detained a courier carrying the bomb components from Lithuania to the perpetrator.

The Russian security service, the FSB, released footage of an unnamed Ukrainian operative in her 20s allegedly preparing the bomb-making equipment disguised as a manicure kit in Warsaw, Poland. The equipment was then transported to Moscow via Lithuania and collected by the courier, who has also been detained in Russia.

The FSB claims the assassination attempt was ordered by the head of the SBU, Vasyl Malyuk, and was a Ukrainian intelligence operation targeting Prozorov, who had been assisting the FSB since his defection to Russia in 2019. Prozorov survived the attack but suffered injuries to his arms and legs.

Why this matters: The car bombing of a former Ukrainian intelligence officer in Moscow highlights the ongoing tensions and covert operations between Russia and Ukraine, even as the conflict continues on the ground. The incident also raises questions about the reach and capabilities of Ukrainian intelligence services to carry out attacks inside Russia.

In a related development, a former deputy chief engineer of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, who collaborated with the Russian occupiers, was sentenced to 10 years in prison by Ukrainian authorities for aiding the occupiers. The Moscow court's arrest of Golovchenko and the FSB's claims of Ukrainian involvement in the car bombing attempt underscore the complex web of intelligence operations and counter-operations at play in the ongoing conflict between the two nations.

Key Takeaways

• Moscow court arrested Vladimir Golovchenko for car bombing of ex-SBU officer Prozorov.
• Golovchenko pleaded guilty, claimed recruited by Ukraine to monitor Prozorov for 2.5 months.
• FSB released footage of Ukrainian operative preparing bomb disguised as manicure kit.
• FSB claims attack ordered by SBU chief, targeting Prozorov who defected to Russia in 2019.
• Former Zaporizhzhia plant deputy sentenced to 10 years for aiding Russian occupiers.