FSB Foils Bomb Plot Targeting Russian Figures

Russia's FSB foiled an alleged plot by Ukraine to assassinate a Russian officer and a pro-Russian blogger using a bomb hidden in a portable speaker. The Russian citizen involved communicated with Ukraine's GUR via Telegram. Ukraine defends such acts as legitimate, while Russia labels them as terrorism.

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Saturday that it has thwarted an assassination plot allegedly orchestrated by Ukraine. The FSB reported that the plot aimed to kill a high-ranking Russian officer and a pro-Kremlin war blogger by using a bomb hidden in a portable music speaker.

According to the FSB, a Russian citizen contacted Ukraine's GUR military intelligence via the Telegram app, following instructions to retrieve a bomb in Moscow. This device, equivalent to 1.5 kg of TNT and filled with ball bearings, was disguised within a music speaker.

While the FSB did not disclose the intended targets, Ukraine's intelligence agency was unavailable for comment. Ukraine justifies targeted killings as legitimate, but Russia condemns them as acts of terrorism, citing the assassination of Lieutenant General Kirillov as an example.

(With inputs from agencies.)