Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said it had detained two men who were preparing an attack with FPV drones against a key element of Moscow's missile defense system and a power plant. The claims were made by the FSB's Public Relations Center.
According to the Russian service, the detainees, born in 1991 and 1998 and identified as coming from the Caucasus, received FPV drones and components for improvised explosive devices from caches in the Smolensk and Kaluga regions. They were supposed to assemble and configure the drones, deliver them to the Moscow region and turn them on before takeoff.
According to the FSB, the subsequent control of the drones was supposed to be carried out remotely from the territory of Ukraine. The service claims that one of the men was recruited by an SBU officer in exchange for a promised reward, after which he enlisted an acquaintance to carry out the task.
Detention before the alleged attack
The two were detained at the stage of preparing the alleged attack, the FSB reported. The service has released a video recording showing the drones in disassembled and assembled form, communication equipment and assembly instructions.
An FSB operative said that the service had preliminary information about the planned attack and the alleged Ukrainian curator. "The operational game with the curators continues," he said.
A criminal case has been opened against the two under Part 2 of Article 205.4 of the Russian Criminal Code for participation in a terrorist organization. The court has remanded them in custody.
The FSB reports that investigative actions and operational measures are continuing to clarify all the circumstances surrounding the case and to establish the possible connections of the detainees. The statement does not indicate any data on the strike carried out or damage caused to the targeted objects.
Sources: tass.ru