Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has foiled a planned sabotage attack targeting an oil installation in the Komi Republic, western Russia, the agency reported on Monday.
Two suspects – both Russian citizens – allegedly acting on instructions from Ukrainian intelligence, were killed in a shootout during an arrest attempt.
The suspects established covert contact with Ukrainian operatives via messaging apps and passed on information about regional oil refining facilities, as well as details about Russian military personnel and law enforcement officers, according to an FSB press release.
The agency said the men were tracked to a pre-arranged cache in the city of Ukhta, where they were retrieving drones equipped with improvised explosive devices, allegedly to be used in an attack on a nearby oil facility.
When the officers moved in to arrest them, they were met with armed resistance. Both suspects were killed in the ensuing shootout. No security personnel or civilians were injured.
At the scene, the authorities said they recovered two drones fitted with explosive payloads of foreign origin, two Makarov pistols, and mobile phones containing data said to confirm the suspects’ activities.
Footage released by the FSB shows the moment of the shootout and photos taken at the suspects’ hideout, displaying equipment and weaponry they appear to have been retrieving.
The authorities did not disclose the specific facility that was to be targeted. A criminal case has been opened on charges of preparing an act of sabotage, the FSB said.
The agency also repeated its warning that Ukrainian intelligence services are actively recruiting operatives online, including through social media and messaging apps like Telegram and WhatsApp, and said those who work with Kiev will be identified and prosecuted.
The Russian authorities have often accused Ukrainian intelligence services of carrying out covert operations inside Russia, including sabotage, targeted killings, and suicide bombings against security personnel. These activities often involve individuals recruited online, motivated by ideology or financial incentives, or coerced into criminal actions through scam tactics.
Last week, the FSB foiled a group of Russian neo-Nazis guided by Ukraine to carry out bomb attacks against the head of Roskomnadzor (the Russian media regulator), Andrey Lipov, and his deputies. Seven members of the network – all young adults – were targeted in a series of raids in four cities, and a man in his early 20s identified as the ringleader was killed in Moscow after opening fire on officers attempting to apprehend him, the agency said.
