Ukraine has accused Russian spies of orchestrating several bomb attacks on its army recruitment offices, as authorities revealed the latest attack killed one person and injured four.
An attack on Wednesday hit a conscription centre in the western Khmelnytskyi region. A man approached a checkpoint in the office, clutching a bag and asking to hand over a package. An explosion then happened, killing the man.
Another conscription officer was shot dead at a petrol station last week.
Separately, a young man was blown up last Saturday by an explosive device he had brought into a draft office in the northwestern city of Rivne, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Russian spies allegedly recruited the man and Russian security officers are said to have detonated the device remotely after he had entered the draft office. Eight Ukrainian servicemen were wounded in the blast.
National police chief Ivan Vyhivskyi said: “We… understand this is a deliberate attack by Russian special services that aims to create a false opinion in society, destabilise the situation and create a negative attitude towards the security and defence forces.”
Mr Vyhivskyi said there had been nine attacks organised by Russia already this year, including three targeting police officers.
He did not provide evidence of Russian involvement, though such information is generally withheld for security reasons.
The police chief said Russian intelligence officers were recruiting young men or people of “low social responsibility” to stage the attacks in return for money.
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“The Russians in most cases do not pay the money to these people. Moreover, these last two cases indicate they liquidate the people they recruit,” Mr Vyhivskyi said.
There was no immediate comment from Russia on the Ukrainian allegations.
The blasts have piled more pressure on an already troubled national campaign to draft civilians into the armed forces.
Enthusiasm among many military-age men to enlist has faded considerably since the start of the war.
Senior military officials openly point to manpower shortages as a problem at the front, where Russian troops are advancing.
