Eight charged over plot to kill defence executive in Russia

An investigation into an attempted assassination targeting a senior executive of a Russian defence industry enterprise in the Moscow region has been completed, with the case now forwarded to court, Russian authorities said on February 26.

Svetlana Petrenko, the official representative of Russia’s Investigative Committee, told TASS that eight individuals — including three minors — have been charged in connection with the planned attack. Investigators allege that the suspects, residents of three different regions, were preparing a terrorist act involving the attempted murder of the head of a defence enterprise, as well as the illegal manufacture and trafficking of explosive devices and explosives.

Petrenko stated that the criminal case, accompanied by an approved indictment, has been formally submitted to the court following the conclusion of the investigation by the Main Investigative Directorate for the Moscow region.

Investigators say that in December 2024, in the city of Kolomna, the defendants acted on instructions allegedly received from Ukrainian special services. For a promised payment of at least 1,000,000 rubles ($12,900) they reportedly manufactured a homemade explosive device and attempted to attach it beneath the vehicle of the targeted defence industry executive. Authorities noted that the explosion could have caused additional casualties among bystanders.

The operation was foiled at the moment the device was being planted. Officers of Russia’s Federal Security Service operating in Moscow and the surrounding region detained two of the suspects at the scene, preventing the car from being blown up.

Petrenko added that investigators carried out extensive procedural work during the inquiry. More than 20 witnesses were questioned, 15 crime-scene inspections and 15 searches were conducted, and investigators examined 40 items and documents. In addition, 28 forensic examinations were completed. The compiled case materials amount to 23 volumes, according to the Investigative Committee.