The Federal Security Service of Russia (FSB) announced today that it "thwarted a plot to carry out a series of unprecedented sabotage and terrorist attacks." The targets included "military infrastructure, military officers, and one of the leading enterprises in the defense industrial complex."
The FSB did not disclose the names of the targeted facilities or officers, stating only that the plot was orchestrated by "Ukraine and its supporters."
In Moscow, the FSB arrested a 25-year-old Russian woman, accusing her of involvement in the assassination plot. A video released by the agency shows agents apprehending the woman while she was walking her dog. She reportedly screamed to draw attention, but no one intervened.
Female suspect arrested in Moscow, shown in a video released by the FSB on 9/7. Video: FSB
She is suspected of collaborating with Ukrainian intelligence since 2024. Russian investigators claim a Ukrainian agent feigned romantic interest, promising to continue their relationship after she completed her tasks and fled to Ukraine.
The suspect reportedly confessed to carrying out multiple assignments since connecting with a man online in 2024. Her tasks included collecting IP addresses from public WiFi hotspots in St. Petersburg and tracking a vehicle belonging to an individual she was told had "committed war crimes and was on an assassination list."
Under the Ukrainian man's direction, she rented an apartment in Moscow earlier this year. There, she installed cameras to monitor the residence and movements of a Russian Ministry of Defense officer, streaming live footage to Ukraine.
The FSB stated that at the apartment, the suspect "prepared camouflage materials and stored food to facilitate the hiding of the individual who would directly carry out the terrorist act." The plan was for her to leave Russia and transit through Turkey and Moldova to Ukraine after the man arrived.
The FSB did not reveal the woman's identity. She faces charges of preparing a terrorist act and may also be prosecuted for treason, according to the agency.
In Krasnodar, FSB agents also arrested a Russian man, born in 1978, on charges of involvement in a plot to assassinate a high-ranking officer in Moscow.
This man had a prior conviction for theft in 2002. After his release, he reportedly traveled to Ukraine, where he was recruited by that country's intelligence service. The suspect also received training in firearms and explosives in Ukraine before returning to Russia.
Suspect arrested in Krasnodar. Video: FSB
Following instructions from his handler, the suspect rented an apartment in Moscow and installed cameras to monitor a Russian serviceman's residence. He is also accused of planning to use a drone carrying an improvised explosive device to assassinate a Russian Ministry of Defense official.
Russian investigators have initiated a criminal case, and a court ordered the suspect's detention for two months.
Ukrainian officials have not yet commented on these allegations.
Several car bombings and assassinations targeting high-ranking Russian military officers have occurred in recent years, since the conflict in Ukraine began. In 12/2025, Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov died south of Moscow after an explosive device detonated under his car. Russian investigators at the time blamed Ukrainian intelligence.
In 2024, General Igor Kirillov and his assistant Ilya Polikarpov were killed in a bomb explosion on a tram outside an apartment building in southeast Moscow. Ukraine's Security Service later claimed responsibility for that assassination.
By Huyen Le (RT, TASS, Meduza)
