The SBU, Ukraine’s Security Service, managed to prevent the series of 15 terrorist acts that were supposed to take place during Euro 2016 in France. Head of the SBU Vasyl Hrytsak said this at a briefing in Kyiv on Monday.
The official shared some details of the counter-terrorist operation. “In December 2015, we found out that a citizen of France came to Ukraine. Posing himself as a volunteer, he set contacts with members of several military units that are now participating in the military conflict in Donbas. He offered them volunteer assistance, but as time passed by he started showing interest in buying guns and explosives in Ukraine”, Hrytsak said.
The Frenchman was detained by the SBU at a checkpoint at Ukrainian-Polish border and put in detention facility. The SBU found out that he planned many terrorist acts back home during the all-Europe football championship. Besides, he offered a Ukrainian citizen several thousand Euros so that he'd deliver the dangerous cargo to France; according to Vasyl Hrytsak, that might point at the involvement of Russian special services in the incident- so as to discredit Ukraine on the eve of Euro 2016.
The French is charged with illegal arms trafficking, preparation of terrorist act and illegal gun handling.