MOSCOW. May 15 (Interfax) - Extensive measures aimed to prevent radical ideas from spreading among youngsters have been taken in 81 regions of Russia, and six persons plotting violence, including attacks on an educational establishment in Moscow, have been detained, the Federal Security Service (FSB) public relations center said on Thursday.
"The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, acting together with the Interior Ministry, the Investigative Committee and the Federal National Guard Service of the Russian Federation, have taken preemptive measures in 81 regions of the Russian Federation to prevent the ideology of violence, mass murder and suicide from spreading among the young," the public relations center said.
The measures resulted in the detention of "six persons involved in preparations for armed attacks on educational establishments in Moscow and Tyumen and acts of violence in Kemerovo, Rostov-on-Don, and Yoshkar-Ola," it said.
Components of improvised bombs and incendiary devices, cold steel, armed attack plans, and symbols and propaganda materials of neo-Nazi and terrorist organizations were seized at their residences, the center said.
"In addition, operations of 57 administrators of Telegram messenger channels and chats, spreading neo-Nazi and terrorist ideology, were put to an end," it said.
"Communication devices of the detainees contained correspondence with Ukrainian handlers, including instructions on sabotage, terrorism, and production and use of terrorist weapons," the center said.
"Preventive measures were also taken against 305 minors who fell under the influence of foreign moderators advocating destructive ideology," it said.
In turn, Russian Investigative Committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko said the checks revealed "illegal activity of underage followers of the ideas of banned terrorist organizations in the republics of Mari El and Udmurtia."
A teenager from Rostov-on-Don is being checked for possible involvement in extremism. "Investigative bodies of the Russian Investigative Committee are investigating a criminal case against four teenagers in the Republic of Mari El," Petrenko said. Depending on their role, they are charged with alignment to an organization, designated terrorist by Russian laws, intentional destruction of property by arson, and hooliganism conspiracy, she said.
According to the preliminary information, three teenagers "beat up citizens of a foreign state and a local resident, acting out of motives of hooliganism and ethnic hatred," in Yoshkar-Ola in spring 2024, Petrenko said.
One of the teenagers "joined a terrorist organization banned in Russia together with his online acquaintance," she said.
In December 2024, two teenagers, acting on orders from a representative of that organization, presumably based in Ukraine, for 32,000-ruble remuneration, poured incendiary liquid and set fire to a vehicle with patriotic symbols in the Ryabinka village in the Medvedevsky district, causing damage of at least 550,000 rubles to the owner.
Two defendants were put in pretrial detention facility and another two under house arrest at the motion of investigators.
In Udmurtia, investigative bodies of the Russian Investigative Committee charged a teenage follower of an international youth movement, listed as terrorist, for public calls for terrorism, public excuse or propaganda of terrorism, and public calls for extremism, Petrenko said.
In Rostov-on-Don, a minor "made improvised explosives and an explosive device, using chemical reagents, and illegally kept them in his apartment," she said.
A criminal case was opened against him on counts of illegal possession of explosives and explosive devices and illegal production of explosives and explosive devices. Charges were brought, and the teenager was arrested.
"Investigative bodies of the Russian Investigative Committee continue to work on teenagers who fell under the influence of foreign moderators advocating destructive ideology and to hold them liable consistent with the law," Petrenko said.