Since the conflict between Moscow and Kiev began, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has successfully thwarted 134 acts of terrorism and sabotage in central Russia, according to the agency’s director, Aleksandr Bortnikov. The announcement was made on Tuesday during a virtual meeting of the National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAC.
In addition to preventing these attacks, Russian security agencies have also managed to disrupt the activities of 32 international terrorist cells since February 2022. These groups, primarily composed of migrants from Central Asia, were planning to target critical infrastructure and areas with mass gatherings.
Bortnikov claimed that Ukraine, backed by the United States and other NATO countries, has been working to organize terrorist attacks and sabotage on Russian territory, in an effort to weaken logistic support for the Russian military and provoke panic among the population. The FSB chief accused Kiev and its foreign allies of assisting “international terrorist organizations” by recruiting individuals to carry out high-profile crimes inside Russia.
According to Bortnikov, younger people and migrant workers are the primary targets for recruitment by Ukrainian and Western intelligence agencies. He cited the involvement of Ukrainian military intelligence in a recent terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall near Moscow as an example of such activities. Kiev has denied any connection to the incident, which claimed 145 lives and injured over 550 people when four gunmen stormed the building ahead of a rock concert before setting it on fire.
Although a terrorist organization called Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K) claimed responsibility for the attack, Moscow has suggested that Kiev may have used the Islamist group as a proxy. The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues to escalate tensions, with both sides accusing each other of orchestrating acts of terrorism and sabotage on their respective territories.