Ukrainian citizen is behind mass mailings about bomb threat in Russia, the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) countries and Donbass, the FSB Public Relations Center told TASS on Thursday, noting that some 14 people involved in these crimes had been detained.
"The FSB, jointly with the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Investigative Committee, are searching for and suppressing the activities of those involved in spreading fake reports about mining some educational, healthcare facilities, administration and transport infrastructure in Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova and the Donbass republics in late 2021 and early 2022. Some 14 people involved in mass mailings <…> were apprehended," the FSB noted. According to the security service, fake bomb threats were spread in order to "undermine the situation in Russia and neighboring states, extort money and were motivated by hooliganism."
"During [the investigation] carried out by the Russian and foreign law enforcement agencies, it was established that some members of the so-called swatting Internet communities were behind the criminal activities, which were organized by Ukrainian resident Anton Osipchuk <…>," the FSB revealed.