Yenin on sabotage and reconnaissance groups: some infiltrators used Russian SIM cards, which showed up clearly

VALENTYNA ROMANENKO — FRIDAY, 20 MAY 2022, 11:23

Around 800 people have been detained on suspicion of sabotage and reconnaissance activities since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine. Many infiltrators are hiding and waiting for the right moment.

Source: Yevhen Yenin, First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, in an interview with NV

Quote: "Many of these sabotage and reconnaissance groups were sent to the territory of Ukraine, and to Kyiv in particular, in advance. I can't say that there is a typical profile of a sabotage and reconnaissance group member, but they are often young people who came here and rented apartments a month or two before the beginning of the Russian aggression.

They had quite a distinct way of life - they didn’t talk to the locals, didn’t work, and mostly stayed at home. We have encountered various sabotage and reconnaissance groups. There were some that had up to 20 people: remember the clashes near the Beresteiska metro station [in Kyiv].

There were sabotage and reconnaissance groups consisting of 2-3 people who were preparing to carry out terrorist attacks on the territory of St Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery [in Kyiv] and near facilities of critical military importance."

Details: According to Yenin, in the early days [of Russia's invasion], Ukrainian law enforcement officers often identified sabotage and reconnaissance groups by radio interception. "They were running around with Russian SIM cards, which showed up clearly, and our operational and combat groups were sent to the areas in question."

The security forces also relied on local residents. The Deputy Minister thanked each and every concerned citizen who called the police emergency line when, for example, they saw someone emerging from a hatch near their home; this did have an impact.

So far, according to Yenin, around 800 people have been detained on suspicion of involvement in sabotage and reconnaissance activities.

Quote: "The sabotage and reconnaissance groups have become slightly less active now, but we have no illusions in this regard. Many infiltrators are just hiding, waiting for a change in the situation or further orders from their handlers. What can we even say about infiltrators, if regular servicemen of the Russian Federation are able to hide [from Russian soldiers] in liberated settlements in Kyiv Oblast for a month or a month and a half?".