FSB foils plot to bomb aircraft carrying Russian official

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has uncovered an attempt to blow up an aircraft carrying a high-ranking Russian official, the FSB’s Public Relations Centre told Lenta.ru.

Investigators found that a man, born in 1970 in Rostov-on-Don, had contacted a foreign intelligence service and offered his services. He has been accused of working for the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).

Under the direction of his handler, the suspect collected information on the location of air defence systems in the Moscow region and launched a drone to identify vulnerabilities in the capital’s air shield.

He was then tasked with attacking the aircraft of a high-ranking Russian official.

The FSB’s investigative department opened criminal cases under the charges of “high treason” and “arranging a terrorist organisation and participating in its activities.”

The case materials were submitted to court, and the man was found guilty and sentenced to 24 years in a maximum-security prison, along with a fine of 500,000 rubles (over $6,300).

By Khagan Isayev