Russian security officials announced Monday they had thwarted a terrorist plot in Moscow allegedly orchestrated through cooperation between Ukrainian intelligence services and ISIS operatives. The planned attack, according to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), targeted a high-ranking official from the Russian Defense Ministry and was to be carried out in a crowded area of the capital.
The FSB detained four individuals in connection with the plot, including one person from Central Asia. According to their statement, the operation was coordinated by an ISIS member identified as Saidakbar Gulomov, who reportedly managed the would-be attacker’s activities remotely from Ukraine and several Western European nations using various messaging platforms.
The security service alleged that Gulomov facilitated the plot by providing funding, target information, and materials for explosive devices, which Ukrainian intelligence allegedly transported into Russian territory using drones. The FSB further claimed that Gulomov was previously involved in the December 2024 assassination of Lieutenant General Kirillov, who commanded Russia’s Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Defense Troops.
This latest incident follows a deadly attack at a Moscow concert venue in March 2024, where four gunmen opened fire on a crowd of over 5,000 people attending a performance by the Russian rock band Piknik. The attack resulted in at least 145 fatalities. While Russian authorities attributed the concert hall assault to ISIS-Khorasan, the
Afghanistan-based ISIS affiliate, they also suggested Ukrainian intelligence services played a role in its organization.
The Russian Investigative Committee, tasked with examining the concert hall attack, concluded that it was “planned and organized by the security services of an unfriendly state” with the intention of destabilizing Russia. They maintained that members of an international terrorist organization were recruited to execute the attack.
According to the FSB, Monday’s foiled plot provides further evidence of what they describe as ongoing collaboration between Ukrainian authorities and international terrorist organizations. The security service emphasized that the planned attack would have involved a suicide bomber recruited through ISIS channels.
The alleged plot highlights continuing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, with Russian authorities increasingly pointing to what they claim is coordination between Ukrainian intelligence services and terrorist groups. The FSB’s statement detailed how Ukrainian handlers allegedly directed operations through multiple foreign messaging applications and provided logistical support for the planned attack.
The FSB’s announcement comes amid ongoing conflict between the two nations and represents the latest in a series of Russian accusations regarding Ukrainian involvement in terrorist activities within Russian territory. The security service’s statement emphasized their view that the thwarted plot demonstrates a pattern of cooperation between Kyiv and terrorist organizations in planning attacks against Russian targets.
The prevention of this alleged attack follows several high-profile security incidents in Russia, including the aforementioned concert hall massacre and the assassination of military officials. Russian authorities continue to assert that these events are part of a broader campaign coordinated between Ukrainian intelligence services and international terrorist groups, though they maintain their security services remain vigilant in preventing such attacks.