Tip-off from UK internet user ‘stopped school massacre plot in Ukraine’

A tip-off from an internet user in the UK led to the arrest of a 15-year-old boy who claimed to be planning to livestream a massacre at a school in Ukraine.

The member of the public alerted police after seeing a post in which a person could be seen holding a knife and saying that they would carry out the attack.

Counter-terrorism officers alerted Europol, who contacted authorities in Ukraine where the suspect was arrested on Friday.

He was found to have a rucksack containing knives.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs said he was detained going into a school in the Zakarpattia region, and was livestreaming at the time.

Commander Dominic Murphy, from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command said: “This was a truly remarkable piece of work by all those involved – both here in the UK as well as counterparts in Ukraine.

“The swift actions by our officers alerting Ukrainian counterparts has helped to avert what could have been a potentially devastating attack at a school in Ukraine.

“It’s all the more remarkable when you consider the incredible difficulties those in Ukraine are facing while fighting a war, but thanks to our collective efforts, lives have almost certainly been saved.

“Our close ties with international partners are a key part of our work in counter terrorism policing and this case shows why that work is so important to tackling threats, wherever they might appear in the world.

“It also highlights the important role the public play and we would continue to encourage the public to flag any concerning material to us – as we’ve seen here, it could help save lives.”

Anyone who wants to report suspected online terrorist or extremist content can do so at www.gov.uk/ACT.