Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Thursday that it has thwarted several assassination attempts orchestrated by Ukrainian intelligence services aimed at high-ranking Russian military officers and their families. The plots reportedly involved bombs disguised as power banks and document folders.
The announcement follows the assassination of Lieutenant General Kirillov, the chief of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Protection Troops, who was killed on December 17 outside his apartment in Moscow by a bomb attached to an electric scooter. An SBU source confirmed to Reuters that Ukraine’s SBU intelligence agency was responsible for the attack, which Russia has labeled a terrorist act.
Details of the Foiled Plots
In a statement, the FSB revealed that four Russian citizens had been detained in connection with the assassination plots. The agency stated that these individuals had been recruited by Ukrainian intelligence. One of the suspects was reportedly found with a bomb disguised as a portable charger, intended to be attached magnetically to the vehicle of a senior official in the Russian Defense Ministry. Another suspect was tasked with conducting reconnaissance on high-ranking defense officials, with plans to deliver a bomb disguised as a document folder.
The FSB noted, “An explosive device disguised as a portable charger (power bank), with magnets attached, had to be placed under the official car of one of the senior leaders of the Russian Defence Ministry.” The exact timing of the planned attacks remains unclear, although one suspect indicated that he had retrieved a bomb on December 23.
Reactions and Context
Russian state television aired footage of the suspects, who allegedly confessed to being recruited by Ukrainian intelligence for the planned bombings. Moscow has accused Ukraine of orchestrating a series of high-profile assassinations on its territory to undermine morale, while also claiming that Western nations are supporting a “terrorist regime” in Kyiv.
In response, Ukraine has maintained that such targeted killings are a legitimate tactic in its ongoing conflict with Russia, which it views as an existential threat. The assassination of Darya Dugina, the daughter of a prominent Russian nationalist, in August 2022 near Moscow, has been cited as an example of Ukraine’s willingness to engage in such operations. U.S. intelligence agencies reportedly believe that parts of the Ukrainian government authorized her killing, although Ukraine has denied involvement.
