Russian law enforcement agents have detained a gunman who was planning to assassinate a high-ranking military officer in St. Petersburg at the behest of Ukrainian intelligence, the Federal Security Service (FSB) has said.
In a statement on Friday, the FSB said the suspect made contact with a Ukrainian recruiter through the Telegram messaging app and volunteered to carry out a “terrorist attack in support of the Kiev regime.”
Acting on instructions from a handler, he was given a firearm, carried out reconnaissance of the officer’s home address, and made preparations for the assassination, the agency said. While the FSB did not provide any details on the would-be target, the suspect claimed he had the rank of lieutenant colonel.
During the arrest, officers seized a loaded Makarov pistol fitted with a device for silent shooting, the FSB said. The agency released a clip of several operatives pinning the suspect to the ground on a snow-covered street.
The FSB also warned Russian citizens that Ukrainian security services are actively searching online – including on Telegram and WhatsApp – for potential recruits to carry out attacks and acts of sabotage. It noted that anyone caught cooperating with Kiev could face a life sentence.
Russian authorities have accused Ukraine of organizing numerous sabotage and assassination attempts on the country’s territory after the escalation of the conflict in 2022, including attacks targeting military commanders and other high-profile figures.