Russia’s FSB claims to have foiled terror attack planned by Kyiv and Islamic State

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) claims to have foiled a plot to assassinate a “high-ranking officer of the Russian Defence Ministry” in Moscow, which it alleges was being planned by the Ukrainian intelligence services in collaboration with Islamic State, the FSB’s press service announced on Monday.

Three Russian citizens were detained on suspicion of concealing evidence of the planned attack, as was a citizen of an unnamed Central Asian country who the FSB believed was due to carry out the attack.

The plan, which according to the FSB was developed by the Ukrainian intelligence services, would have involved the detonation of a large explosive device hidden on a bicycle, which would also have likely resulted in the death of the attacker. The target of the attack has not been named.

Saidakbar Gulomov, an Uzbek citizen who is wanted by both the Russian and the Uzbek authorities over his alleged links to Islamic State and his supposed involvement in another high-profile assasination, is believed to be responsible for recruiting the attacker, the FSB said.

According to the FSB, Gulomov directed his new recruit from Ukraine and multiple Western European countries, providing funding, intelligence, and equipment that was flown into Russian territory using Ukrainian drones.

The FSB’s accusations mirror those it made following the assasination of the head of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, in Moscow in December, an operation for which Ukraine subsequently claimed responsibility and in which the FSB has alleged the involvement of Golomov.