The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) announced the arrest of three individuals suspected of carrying out sabotage operations in Southern Russia, allegedly at the behest of Ukrainian intelligence. The arrests, made in the Krasnodar Region, involved two Russian citizens and one citizen from a Central Asian country. According to the FSB, a failed firebombing attempt on a railway relay box exposed the cell. The suspects allegedly planned to use a Molotov cocktail to damage critical railway infrastructure, which, had it been successful, could have caused significant disruption to passenger train services.
During questioning, one suspect confessed to coordinating with Ukrainian operatives via a messaging app and recruiting two accomplices. The FSB also revealed that a second planned attack targeting a mobile telecommunications tower was thwarted. Each suspect reportedly received a payment of between $200 and $250 for their involvement in each act of sabotage. The group operated in the village of Varenikovskaya, approximately 100km west of Krasnodar.
The FSB did not release the names of the suspects, who are believed to be in their late twenties and early thirties. If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison. This incident adds to a string of alleged Ukrainian sabotage operations on Russian territory. Earlier this month, the FSB reported the arrest of two individuals in the Bryansk Region, accused of handling drone-delivered packages containing weapons intended for future attacks. In May, suspected Ukrainian sabotage resulted in the derailment of a passenger train in Bryansk Region, causing the deaths of seven civilians and injuring dozens more. These arrests highlight the ongoing tensions and alleged cross-border actions within the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
