Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) arrested eight people on August 21 for allegedly planning a drone attack on a strategic defense enterprise in the Moscow region, and separately detained one foreign national for conducting reconnaissance on government buildings in the capital, Russian state agencies reported.
The eight suspects were found in possession of 35 explosive-laden FPV drones that had been smuggled from the European Union, according to TASS, citing the FSB. The drones were intended for use against a military-industrial facility in the Moscow region. One of the suspects resisted arrest with armed force and was killed by return fire, the FSB said in a statement.
State agencies said all nine individuals were working on behalf of Ukrainian special services. Ukraine has not commented on the detentions. The arrests represent one of the largest single counterterrorism operations announced by Russian authorities in recent months.
Foreign National Detained in Murmansk
In a separate operation, the FSB detained a foreign national of unspecified nationality in the northwestern Murmansk region while he was allegedly attempting to cross the border into Norway. The individual was suspected of having scouted trains carrying petroleum products at a Moscow railway station, as well as administrative buildings in the capital, according to RIA Novosti.
The FSB said the foreign national had attempted to launch an FPV drone in Moscow to conduct surveillance of government buildings, transport infrastructure, and public gathering places. The suspect was allegedly acting on instructions from Ukrainian intelligence services.
Russia regularly announces detentions of suspected Ukrainian agents, and the claims cannot be independently verified. Kyiv has consistently denied involvement in sabotage operations on Russian territory, though it has acknowledged conducting strikes against military targets using long-range drones.
The arrests come amid a period of heightened tensions, with Ukrainian long-range drone strikes continuing to target Russian military and energy infrastructure deep behind the front lines. Russian authorities have reported multiple foiled plots involving drone attacks on defense facilities in the Moscow region this year, including a major FSB operation in July that prevented a 35-drone attack on a military-industrial complex.
Sources: Reuters; TASS; RIA Novosti; The Straits Times; Just Security
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