KIEV, February 9 (RIA Novosti) – Ukrainian security agents are on high alert following reports of planned explosions in the country that could cause mass casualties, the national security service said Sunday.
A warning has been issued concerning high-risk facilities across Ukraine, including nuclear and hydro power plants, international airports, railway stations and bus stations, cross-country pipelines and weapons storage facilities.
These measures have been made public and aim at preventing threats to the life and health of Ukrainians, the SBU said in a statement on its website. The service also confirmed a hijack attempt on a plane en route to Turkey from Kharkiv on February 7.
A passenger aboard a Pegasus Airlines flight attempted to hijack the plane by claiming there was a bomb aboard and demanded to go to the Olympic city of Sochi, officials and media reports said. The flight landed safely in Istanbul, its original destination, despite the ordeal.
Ukraine’s Interior Ministry said three people were injured Saturday in downtown Kiev, the scene of mass anti-government protests since November. One person was reportedly hit by a guard, while two others were attacked by unknown assailants in separate incidents.
The city saw worse clashes between rioters and police for several days last month following the hasty passage of draconian laws that strictly curbed the right to protest. Those laws were later repealed.
