Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced the arrest of several suspects linked to an alleged Ukrainian plot to assassinate senior Russian military officials. This development follows the recent killing of Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, a high-ranking Russian officer, in a brazen attack in Moscow.
The FSB, the primary successor to the KGB, revealed in a statement that four Russian nationals were apprehended on suspicion of preparing to kill senior Defense Ministry officers. Among the alleged assassination plans was the use of a remotely controlled car bomb to target one officer and an explosive device concealed in an envelope to kill another. The identities of the intended victims remain undisclosed.
The agency also released a video showing the arrest and interrogation of the suspects but withheld their names.
This announcement comes in the wake of the December 17 assassination of Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, who led Russia’s Radiation, Biological, and Chemical Protection Forces. Kirillov was killed by a bomb hidden on an electric scooter outside his Moscow residence. His assistant also died in the attack, which Ukraine reportedly claimed responsibility for.
The FSB reported the arrest of a suspect in Kirillov’s killing, identified as a citizen of Uzbekistan. The agency alleged that the individual confessed to being recruited by Ukrainian special services.
President Vladimir Putin condemned the killing of Kirillov, describing it as a “major blunder” by Russian security agencies. He urged them to learn from the incident and enhance their operational efficiency.
Lt. Gen. Kirillov, 54, was a key figure in ensuring the Russian military’s preparedness against nuclear, biological, and chemical threats. His assassination has underscored the reach of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, bringing the war’s violence into the heart of the Russian capital.
The FSB’s latest arrests signal a heightened focus on countering alleged Ukrainian threats within Russian borders. However, the claims of Ukrainian involvement in the plots remain unverified by independent sources.