During the past several months, both Kyiv and Kharkiv have been plagued by bombing alerts, each of them unfounded but still deeply disconcerting to residents. In Kyiv, parts of the underground were on ‘technical shutdown’ almost every day during winter, while in Kharkiv the railway and various public offices were frequent attack targets.
This week, a Zaporizzhya-born 33-year-old woman responsible for at least four bombing alerts in Kharkiv was finally arrested. According to early investigation reports, she evaded detection for a long time by using public computers, such as ones in Internet cafes. She targeted the Kharkiv Immigration Office, a court, the opera house, the regional council and other institutes. Her motive is stated to have been ‘a heightened sense of justice’, which means personal revenge.
Law enforcement have opened a criminal investigation on charges of knowingly spreading false information regarding the safety of persons and property, which entails a prison sentence of up to 6 years.
