MOSCOW. March 16 (Interfax) - Russia's security services have detained a Russian citizen in Crimea on suspicion of collecting information on crowded places and critical infrastructure facilities on the orders of Ukrainian intelligence services, and an object that appears to be an explosive device has been seized from him, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) told journalists on Tuesday.
"The Russian Federal Security Service curbed Russian citizen V. L. Yesipenko's intelligence-gathering and subversive activities in the interests of the Ukrainian special services in the course of a search and investigative operation. Said citizen was taking pictures and shooting videos of the terrain, critical infrastructure facilities, and public places in the Republic of Crimea," the FSB said.
"In order to rule out subversive acts by Yesipenko in the interests of the Ukrainian special services, he has been detained," it said.
Security operatives discovered an object that looks like an improvised explosive device in Yesipenko's personal car and confiscated it.
"According to the detainee, he collected said information in the interests of Ukrainian special services on the orders of Col. Kravchuk, a reserve officer of unit 8 of the Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service's department 5, and he kept the improvised explosive device, as recommended by Kravchuk, in his car for his personal security," the FSB said.
A criminal case has been opened against Yesipenko, the FSB said, without specifying which Russian Criminal Code article has been invoked.