The Russian Federal Security Service /FSB/ has prevented a terrorist attack on Crimean Metropolitan Tikhon in Moscow, which was being prepared by Ukrainian military intelligence.
A Russian and a Ukrainian were arrested in the case, who "were recruited by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine via the Telegram messenger“.
A criminal case has been opened against them for preparation of a terrorist act and illegal trafficking in explosive devices.
The FSB reported that a homemade explosive device and two fake Ukrainian passports with photos and changed identification data were seized from the suspects.
The men admitted that they were recruited by Ukrainian military intelligence and were supposed to to carry out a terrorist attack in Moscow.
„The defendants admitted that in mid-2024 they were recruited by an employee of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine to prepare the physical elimination of Metropolitan Tikhon“, the FSB Public Relations Center noted.
In December 2024, they were given an improvised explosive device through a secret service. "They planned to commit the criminal act while Metropolitan Tikhon was in Moscow. After committing the crime, they planned to leave Russia using false passports provided by the Ukrainian special services," the FSB added.