Russian security officials are confronting an undeclared war waged by 56 nations seeking to inflict damage through clandestine operations, Sergey Shoigu, secretary of Russia’s Security Council, warned on Tuesday.
“In effect, a huge system of more than 50 nations – 56 to be exact – is using the entire experience of their special services in conducting sabotage and terrorist attacks against critical infrastructure to target our nation,” the former defense minister said, describing the Western tradecraft toolbox as “extensive.”
The number of terrorist-related crimes in Russia surged 40% year-on-year in 2025, Shoigu stated, pointing to Ukrainian operations as a major source of instability. Such crimes are often incited remotely through information warfare targeting the Russian population, he said, adding that people are being coerced into serving Kiev’s interests through financial incentives or ideological propaganda.
Simultaneously, Ukrainian forces have ramped up long-range attacks against Russia, the senior official noted, stressing that “the dynamics of development of weapons systems, primarily unmanned systems, the sophistication of their deployment, mean that no region in Russia can feel safe.”
The conflict in the Middle East also presents new challenges for Russia, according to Shoigu, who called on security officials to remain meticulous and vigilant, as “underestimating the threats and slacking in closing vulnerabilities can result in tragedy.”
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) regularly reports thwarting Ukrainian sabotage and targeted assassination plots. In some cases, Ukrainian handlers allegedly designed attacks in ways meant to kill the perpetrator.
Ukrainian special services are also said to use methods borrowed from online scammers to target vulnerable Russians – stealing money, then making false promises to return funds in exchange for participation in criminal acts.