Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Thursday that it has arrested several suspects accused of involvement in an alleged Ukrainian plot to assassinate senior military officers. The FSB revealed that four Russians were apprehended for making preparations to kill senior Defense Ministry officials.
The FSB disclosed that the suspected organizers of the attacks had planned to use a remotely controlled car bomb to target one senior officer, while another top military official was to be assassinated by an explosive device hidden in an envelope. The agency did not disclose the names of the military officers who were the intended targets of the alleged plot.
A video released by the FSB showed the arrest and interrogation of the suspects, who remained unnamed in the statement.
This development comes in the wake of the recent killing of Lt. Gen Igor Kirillov on December 17. Kirillov was fatally wounded by a bomb concealed on an electric scooter parked outside his residence as he departed for work. The attack, which also claimed the life of Kirillov’s assistant, was attributed to Ukraine and reignited tensions in the Russian capital.
The FSB has apprehended a suspect from Uzbekistan and alleged that he confessed to being recruited by Ukrainian special services.
Lt. Gen Igor Kirillov, aged 54, served as the head of Russia’s Radiation, Biological and Chemical Protection Forces. These specialized troops are responsible for safeguarding the military against the enemy’s potential use of nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons and ensuring operational readiness in contaminated environments.
Russian President Vladimir Putin characterized Kirillov’s assassination as a significant misstep by Russia’s security agencies, emphasizing the need for lessons to be learned and operational efficiency to be enhanced moving forward.
