BELGOROD. April 26 (Interfax) - A criminal case on preparing to commit high treason has been opened against a resident of Russia's Tver, the press service for the Belgorod regional branch of the Federal Security Service said on Wednesday.
"Officers of the Federal Security Service [...] jointly with the border department [...] detained a Russian citizen, born in 2003, who tried to leave for the territory of Ukraine to participate in hostilities against the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. A restraining measure in the form of a custodial term was handed down on him," the statement said.
The investigators found out that the young man intended to illegally cross the Russian state border in order to side with the Ukrainian Armed Forces to join a Ukrainian armed formation.
It was established that for this purpose, the man was collecting information on hostilities in the Ukrainian border area and devised a route that would allow him to cross the state border bypassing checkpoints.
In addition, he planned to set fire to a military enlistment office in a city in central Russia and send a video report of his actions by email, the statement said.
The criminal case is being investigated on counts of preparing for committing high treason by taking the enemy's side.