Russian FSB thwarts terrorist plot against South Stream pipeline

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The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) confirmed on Thursday that it prevented an attempt by Ukrainian intelligence to sabotage and destroy the 'South Stream' gas pipeline in the Volgograd region, which hosts the gas pipeline that supplies gas to Turkey and Europe.

According to a statement by the FSB, it relayed that "the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation prevented an attempt by the Ukrainian intelligence to commit a sabotage and terrorist act on the South Stream gas pipeline, which supplies energy to Turkey and Europe."

Moreover, four Russian accomplices have been detained. Four mines and 4 kilograms of plastite were confiscated as well, which were intended to be used in the terrorist plot.

Shutting down one plot after the other 

The FSB has been on a roll preventing plots and potential attacks by Ukrainian forces and special agents recruited by western forces against Russia. Just earlier this month, the FSB announced that it prevented an act of sabotage by the Ukrainian special services at an energy infrastructure facility in Crimea.

"A sabotage planned by the Ukrainian special services at an energy infrastructure facility in the Republic of Crimea was prevented. As a result of a complex of operational and search measures, a citizen of Ukraine was detained," the FSB said in a statement. 

Three explosives, in addition to instructions for their use and a diagram of the location of power transmission towers in one of Crimea's regions, were seized during the detention, according to the statement. 

Then last month in October, in its statement, the FSB said, "A terrorist attack was thwarted on the territory of the Stavropol region ... The criminal activity of a clandestine cell of supporters of international terrorist organization ISIS was exposed and suppressed in Pyatigorsk."

Citizens of Central Asian republics were identified as members of the group partaking in the plot, the statement said, adding that the detainees confessed. 

Again, back in September, the FSB foiled an attempt by Ukrainian special services to attack an oil and gas facility that supplies Turkey and Europe with energy. "As a result of a complex of operational and search measures, the Russian FSB prevented an attempt by Ukrainian special services to commit a sabotage and terrorist act at an oil and gas facility that supplies energy to Turkey and Europe," the FSB said.

A man and four accomplices were detained. The man was recruited by the Ukrainian security services while the four accomplices were Russian citizens that played a significant role in the preparation for the terrorist attack.

In August, the FSB detained a Ukrainian intelligence agent in Kursk for spying on military facilities. "The unlawful activities of a resident of the city of Kursk, a Ukrainian citizen, who is an agent of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, suspected of involvement in the collection and transfer on the instructions of foreign intelligence of information about objects of the [Russian] defense ministry for use against the security of Russia, were stopped," the FSB said.

According to the statement, special technical tools given to him by the Ukrainian special agency were seized in his apartment.