Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on 9 July that it had thwarted what it described as an “unprecedented in scale and degree of threat” series of terrorist and sabotage operations planned by Ukrainian special services. The alleged plots, which the FSB says were prepared with the direct participation of Western handlers, included drone strikes on military infrastructure and a leading defence-industry enterprise, as well as the targeted killing of a high-ranking Russian Defence Ministry officer. Two suspects have been arrested and face charges of terrorism and treason.

According to the FSB’s public statements, one operation involved a Russian man born in 1978 who was recruited by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) under threat of prosecuting his wife. After weapons and explosives training, he travelled from Ukraine via Moldova and Armenia to Moscow, where he rented an apartment, installed surveillance cameras to monitor the officer’s residence, and acquired a disguise. The service alleges he planned to detonate a drone-borne improvised explosive device with 600 grammes of explosive as the officer entered his building. He was detained in Krasnodar while retrieving the device from a cache. In a separate case, a 25-year-old Russian woman was arrested in Moscow. The FSB claims she was recruited through WhatsApp in 2024 by a Ukrainian handler who simulated a romantic relationship, and that in 2026 she rented a flat, set up video surveillance of the officer’s home and car, and prepared provisions and camouflage for an executor who was to arrive after her departure via Turkey and Moldova. The woman has reportedly confessed and is cooperating with investigators.

Viewed from Moscow, the disclosures serve a dual purpose: they project an image of effective counter-intelligence while reinforcing the official narrative that Ukraine, with Western backing, is waging a clandestine campaign of terror deep inside Russian territory. The FSB’s account, carried prominently by state media, fits a pattern of regular announcements of foiled Ukrainian sabotage plots, often involving drones, romantic entrapment, or coerced recruitment. Ukrainian officials have not commented on these specific allegations; Kyiv has previously dismissed similar claims as propaganda designed to justify Russia’s war effort. Independent verification of the FSB’s assertions remains impossible, as the service has not named the targeted officer or the defence enterprise, and the evidence it has released consists of curated video footage and suspect testimony.

Both suspects are now in custody. The man has been remanded for two months on charges of attempted terrorism, while the woman faces charges of preparing a terrorist act and treason, with the possibility of a life sentence. The FSB says the investigation is ongoing and that the woman is providing information to the authorities. Court proceedings are expected to follow, though no dates have been set. The case adds to a growing list of similar prosecutions inside Russia, where security services claim to have dismantled dozens of alleged Ukrainian agent networks since the full-scale invasion began.