Foiled Plot: FSB Arrests Church Figures Over Alleged Putin Confessor Assassination Plan

Two men have been detained by Russia's FSB for allegedly planning to kill Tikhon Shevkunov, a priest close to President Putin. The plot was reportedly ordered by a Ukrainian spy agency. The FSB alleges the men were recruited via Telegram and seized an explosive device and fake passports.

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Friday the arrest of two individuals with church affiliations, accused of conspiring to assassinate a priest allegedly close to President Vladimir Putin, under orders from a Ukrainian spy agency.

The FSB identified the intended target as Tikhon Shevkunov, a well-known figure in Russian media as "Putin's confessor." The Kremlin has described the relationship between the priest and President Putin as one of long-standing acquaintance.

The FSB claims the suspects were recruited via Telegram, leading to the recovery of an improvised explosive device and counterfeit Ukrainian documents. The men, shown in video confessions, divulged details of the plot, including intended actions to plant a bomb within a historic Moscow monastery.

(With inputs from agencies.)