The suspect was shot dead after as he opened fire at officers during the arrest, the Russian security agency has said

A Ukrainian terrorist plot to blow up a railway bridge in Saratov Region in south-western Russia has been thwarted, the Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement on Wednesday.

The suspected saboteur was killed by return fire after he began shooting at officers, who tried to detain him when he was retrieving an improvised explosive device (IED) from a stash, the agency said.

"It was established that a Russian citizen maintained contacts with the Ukrainian side and intended to flee for Ukraine to take part in military operations there after committing the illegal act," the statement read.

The agency described the man as "a supporter of a group that is branded a terrorist organization and banned in Russia."

A search of the crime scene discovered an 11kg ready-to-use IED, a Makarov pistol with ammunition and other evidence. A criminal case for terrorism and illegal production and possession of explosives launched over the incident.

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In early June, a bridge collapsed in front of a moving passenger train in Russia's Bryansk Region, while the next day a railway bridge gave way under a moving freight train in Kursk Region. In total, seven people were killed and 113 were injured between both incidents.

Russian President Vladimir Putin reacted to theacts of sabotageby saying that the "illegitimate Kiev regime," which is suffering battlefield losses against Russia, "is gradually turning into a terrorist organization, and its sponsors are becoming accomplices to terrorists."

Later on Wednesday, the FSB announced that five people have been detained in Russia's Republic of Udmurtia and in Orenburg and Krasnodar Regions for setting fire to transport infrastructure facilities and telecommunications equipment on alleged orders from Kiev.

The suspects were recruited by the Ukrainian special services via Telegram messaging app and online platforms offering one-time jobs, are facing sabotage and terrorism charges, it said.

(RT.com)