MOSCOW. March 28 (Interfax) - A Russian citizen, who has a previous criminal record, has been detained for plotting to plant an explosive device in an administrative building in Moscow on orders from Ukrainian special services, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said.
"A Russian citizen, born in 1972, who was earlier tried for murder, extortion and robbery, was detained in Moscow for plotting to set off an improvised explosive device in crowded places on orders from Ukrainian special services," the FSB press center said in a statement on Friday.
According to the FSB, the man himself said that "in February 2025 he was recruited by Ukrainian special services and, acting on his supervisor's instructions, took from a cache a clock-operated improvised explosive device, which he was supported to plant in one of the administrative buildings in Moscow."
"The supervisor promised to help him flee to Ukraine after staging the terrorist act in order to fight against the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation," it said.
A ready-for-use improvised explosive device weighing five kilograms, filled with ammonal and fitted with a timer, as well as the smartphone used for communication with Ukrainian special services were seized from the suspect, it said.
A criminal case has been opened on charges of an attempt to perpetrate a terrorist act and illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation, forwarding or possession of explosive substances or explosive devices.
"The suspect has confessed to the crime and is cooperating with the investigation," the FSB said.