Russia Claims Foiling Plots to Assassinate High-Ranking Military Officials

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Thursday that it had thwarted several assassination attempts allegedly orchestrated by Ukrainian intelligence services targeting high-ranking Russian Defence Ministry officials and their families.

Details of the Alleged Plots

• The FSB stated that bombs disguised as everyday items, such as power banks and document folders, were intended for use in the attacks.
• One plot involved a bomb attached with magnets under an official’s car, while another involved a bomb concealed within a document folder.
• Four Russian citizens were reportedly detained, accused of being recruited by Ukraine’s intelligence services to execute these plans.

Recent High-Profile Killing

On Dec. 17, Lieutenant General Kirillov, chief of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Protection Troops, was killed outside his Moscow apartment when an electric scooter rigged with explosives detonated. Ukraine’s SBU intelligence agency has been linked to the incident, with an anonymous SBU source confirming the involvement to Reuters.

Russian Response

The Kremlin has labeled such actions as terrorist attacks and vowed retaliation. The FSB accused Western nations of backing what it calls Ukraine’s “terrorist regime,” while Ukrainian officials have not commented on the specific claims.

Ukraine’s Perspective

While Kyiv has not publicly confirmed responsibility for many of the alleged operations, it has suggested that targeted killings are a legitimate part of its strategy against Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Context of Targeted Killings

• Russia has blamed Ukraine for a series of assassinations, including the August 2022 killing of Darya Dugina, daughter of Russian nationalist Alexander Dugin.
• The New York Times reported that U.S. intelligence believes parts of the Ukrainian government authorized Dugina’s killing.

Unfolding Tensions

This latest development underscores the increasing use of unconventional tactics in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. It also highlights how the conflict has extended beyond battlefields into high-profile urban settings, intensifying the war’s stakes and the geopolitical ramifications.