FSB Says It Arrested Eight Alleged Ukrainian Agents Over Moscow Attack Plot

Russian law enforcement announced on Friday the arrest of eight people accused of planning an attack on a defense enterprise in the Moscow region, according to state-controlled media. In a separate case, authorities detained a foreign national suspected of scouting government buildings and strategic infrastructure.

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) claims the group of eight was found with 35 explosive-equipped drones allegedly smuggled into the country from the European Union. The agency says the drones were intended for use in an attack on a strategic defense facility located in the Moscow region.

Detention Near Norwegian Border

State news agency RIA Novosti reported that, in a separate incident, a foreign national was detained in the northwestern Murmansk region while attempting to cross the border into Norway. According to the FSB, this individual is suspected of surveilling trains carrying petroleum products at a Moscow railway station, as well as monitoring government buildings in the Russian capital. Authorities did not disclose the detained person's nationality.

Russian officials have accused all nine detainees of working on behalf of Ukrainian special services. Moscow frequently announces the detention of alleged Ukrainian agents, though such claims cannot be independently verified. Ukraine has not yet commented on the latest arrests.