BERLIN – The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) says it has foiled an alleged terrorist plot on the leadership of the telecommunications regulator Roskomnadzor.
A suspect from Moscow was killed during his arrest, the FSB announced on Friday.
The agency accused the man and several alleged accomplices of preparing to blow up a car. They are said to have been recruited by Ukrainian intelligence services via the Telegram messaging app. The information cannot be independently verified.
Seven people were reportedly arrested last Saturday in Moscow, Ufa, Novosibirsk and Yaroslavl, the statement said.
The ringleader of the group, a man born in 2004, is said to have offered armed resistance during his arrest and was killed.
Weapons, neo-Nazi insignia and symbols of a Ukrainian paramilitary group were among the items said to have been seized from the suspects.
Criminal proceedings have been initiated for the illegal possession of weapons and explosives. A decision is pending on whether they will be held accountable for preparing a terrorist attack.
The FSB statement was published after Russian President Vladimir Putin commented for the first time the previous day on the increasing internet blocks in the country.
He justified the blocks on the grounds of counter-terrorism, but said that people would have to be informed of the measures after the fact.
The restrictions on internet use have recently sparked criticism even in circles normally loyal to the government.
Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, there have been numerous acts of sabotage on railway lines and other infrastructure in Russia, as well as targeted assassinations of military personnel and supporters of the war.
–NNN-dpa