Kiev-recruited saboteurs targeted railway in Russia – FSB

Three individuals allegedly recruited by Ukrainian intelligence to conduct sabotage operations in Southern Russia have been arrested, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) announced Monday.

Russian officials previously accused Ukraine of orchestrating numerous attacks on civilian infrastructure, some of which resulted in multiple deaths. The new arrests were made in Krasnodar Region and involved two Russian citizens and one national of a Central Asian country, according to the FSB.

During interviews with investigators, one suspect admitted to contacting Ukrainian security operatives through a messaging app and enlisting two acquaintances to assist him.

In one attempted attack, the suspected ringleader and an accomplice allegedly tried to use a Molotov cocktail to set fire to a railway relay box, a critical component for ensuring the safe operation of passenger trains. The attack failed but drew the attention of law enforcement, which eventually identified and apprehended the suspects. A second alleged plot targeting a mobile telecommunications tower was also uncovered and foiled as a result, the FSB said.

Officials did not disclose the names of the suspects, who are believed to be in their late 20s and early 30s. Each individual was reportedly promised between $200 and $250 for participating in each act of sabotage. The group is said to have operated in the village of Varenikovskaya, roughly 100km west of the regional capital, Krasnodar. If convicted, the suspects face prison sentences of up to 20 years.

Earlier this month, the FSB reported the arrest of two individuals in the Bryansk Region who were allegedly tasked with retrieving drone-delivered packages and preparing weapons for future terrorist attacks.

In May, a string of suspected Ukrainian sabotage operations on Russian railroads caused the derailment of a passenger train in Bryansk Region, in which seven civilians were killed and dozens of others injured.