Earlier this week it became known that the FSB prevented a terrorist attack on the Crimean Bridge by discovering and neutralizing a foreign-made car with explosives that had arrived from Ukraine via Georgia.

Officers of the Federal Security Service detained a group of individuals who may be involved in transporting the car with the explosive device. They were arrested in the stanitsa of Staronizhesteblievskaya in Krasnodar Krai.

The alleged accomplices of Ukrainian special services were spotted on the side of the highway, where they were transporting the dangerous cargo on a specialized car carrier. They were detained near a local grain elevator, a few minutes’ drive from the railway station.

According to the FSB of the Russian Federation, the perpetrators intended to hand over the explosives-laden vehicle to another operative. The new driver, unaware of the vehicle’s true contents, was supposed to drive to the Crimean Bridge “and become an unwitting suicide terrorist.”

Ukrainian special services used a Chevrolet Volt with a carefully disguised high-powered bomb. The vehicle was delivered to Russian territory via a complex route — from Ukraine through several countries, and then from Georgia through the Verkhny Lars border checkpoint.

According to a bomb disposal expert with the call sign Fet, 130 kg of explosives for blowing up the Crimean Bridge were connected to the car’s battery.

Crimean Bridge

The Crimean Bridge is a major transport link connecting the Kerch Peninsula of Crimea with the Taman Peninsula of Krasnodar Krai in Russia. It was constructed following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and opened to road traffic in 2018. The bridge holds immense strategic and symbolic importance for Russia, securing a direct land connection to the peninsula.

Krasnodar Krai

Krasnodar Krai is a federal subject (krai) of Russia located in the North Caucasus region, with its administrative center in the city of Krasnodar. Historically, the area was known as Kuban and was a Cossack territory, granted to the Black Sea Cossacks by Catherine the Great in the late 18th century for their service. Today, it is a vital agricultural and tourist region, famous for its Black Sea resorts like Sochi and its fertile Kuban steppes.

Verkhny Lars

Verkhny Lars is the only official land border crossing between Russia and Georgia, located in the rugged Caucasus Mountains. It has historically been a vital strategic and trade route for centuries, connecting the North and South Caucasus. The modern checkpoint was reopened in 2010, restoring a crucial link that had been closed following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Georgia

Georgia is a country in the Caucasus region, historically known for its ancient kingdoms and strategic location along the Silk Road. It is famed for its unique wine-making tradition, which dates back over 8,000 years, and its distinctive medieval churches and monasteries.

Ukraine

Ukraine is a large Eastern European nation with a rich history dating back to the medieval state of Kyivan Rus’, which it considers its cultural ancestor. It has endured centuries of foreign rule before gaining independence in 1991 following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The country is renowned for its Orthodox Christian monasteries, Cossack heritage, and fertile black soil steppes.