Russian FSB thwarts terrorist attack in Crimea, arrests 6
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The 6 arrested are part of the Ukrainian nationalist Right Sector terrorist organization.
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The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB)
On Wednesday, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said that it has thwarted a terrorist attack in one of Crimea's Orthodox churches, and has arrested 6 Russian citizens.
The citizens, reportedly, are supporters of the Ukrainian nationalist Right Sector organization - a party that is banned in Russia.
"The Russian Federal Security Service prevented a terrorist act in the Republic of Crimea. As a result of the measures taken, we arrested six Russian citizens, who are supporters of Ukrainian extremist organization Right Sector, who were preparing to detonate an improvised explosive device in one of the Orthodox churches in the region in order to intimidate the population," the FSB said in a statement.
The FSB confiscated compartments of an improvised explosive device found with one of the detained men, also finding correspondence with plans and symbols of the party.
Ukraine claims that Crimea is occupied by Russia. However, Crimea became part of Russia after a March 2014 referendum in which 96% of Crimeans voted to rejoin the Russian Federation.
Last month, German Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Kay-Achim Schonbach said that Crimea, despite Kiev’s attempts to pressure Russia, will never return to Ukraine.
"Crimea is gone, and it will never come back," he said at a conference hosted by India's Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses.
As for the countries that want to be part of NATO, the Vice-Admiral said that Georgia meets the criteria for membership, but it joining the alliance is “illogical”, considering how this would impact its relations with Moscow.
Read more: Kiev says would like to join NATO, Berlin says not on agenda
Earlier this month, Zelensky stressed that his country would like to join NATO, asserting his belief that it would be a "security guarantee" for Ukraine and saying Kiev was counting on Berlin for entry.
"We count on the support of Ukraine's full membership in the EU. Such a step would be a powerful signal of the geopolitical choice of the Ukrainian people, recognized by our legislation and many countries of the world," he said at a joint press conference with the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz.
Russia has been demanding a written commitment that Ukraine would never be able to join NATO and that the alliance would not place any military equipment in certain countries in the region surrounding Russia.
