Ukrainian authorities have uncovered three stockpiles of Russian weapons and explosives it was announced on Thursday.
Russian forces left "hidden weapons" for future sabotage and reconnaissance groups when they withdrew from areas around Kyiv earlier in the war, Ukraine's security service, also known as the SBU, said in a statement posted to messaging app Telegram.
In the initial days of Russia's invasion in February 2022, Moscow's troops swept through parts of northeastern Ukraine, quickly advancing towards the Ukrainian capital. But counteroffensives pushed back Russian forces from Kyiv and the nearby Chernihiv and Sumy regions of northern Ukraine within weeks, followed by the rolling back of Russian positions in the northeastern Kharkiv region later in the year.
Both sides have accused each another of deploying sabotage and reconnaissance groups throughout the war-torn country. Earlier this month, Lt. Gen. Serhiy Nayev, commander of Ukraine's joint forces, said authorities had discovered a Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group attempting to cross the border into the Sumy region.
Close to Kyiv, a "well-disguised stash of Russian-made weapons" was recovered near the city of Bucha, northwest of the the capital, the SBU said.
"Among the confiscated items were an arsenal of Russian grenade launchers, more than 15 kilograms of explosives with electric detonators and automatic weapons," the SBU added.
Russian forces occupied Bucha and nearby Irpin for little over a month in spring 2022. International investigations into alleged Russian war crimes in Bucha and surrounding areas are ongoing after evidence emerged of the killing of civilians in the city. Russia denies the allegations.
The cache was hidden under the floor of an abandoned building, the SBU said. Officials seized five grenade launchers and 12 grenades.
Ukrainian officials recovered a "large batch" of explosives, several grenades and almost 600 rounds of small arms ammunition near a quarry in the western Transcarpathian, or Zakarpattia, region, the SBU added. The region borders Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania.
Also, an unidentified arms dealer had attempted to sell "a Kalashnikov assault rifle, more than a thousand cartridges and a dozen combat grenades to criminals" in the central Ukrainian Vinnytsia region, the SBU said.
Newsweek has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Ellie Cook is a Newsweek security and defense reporter based in London, U.K. Her work focuses largely on the Russia-Ukraine ... Read more
