Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has announced that it has foiled a series of attacks involving FPV drones in the Moscow Region, which, according to the FSB, were allegedly being planned by the Ukrainian security services. Among those organising the operation, the Russian security service named the blogger and rapper Kyivstoner, who denied any involvement on social media. Russian security forces reported that the perpetrator had been detained and an accomplice killed during the attempt to arrest him. There is no independent confirmation of this information.
Briefly about the main points
- The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has announced that it has foiled an operation involving FPV drones in the Moscow Region.
- According to the FSB, the blogger Kyivstoner was named among the organisers, although he denied this on social media.
- According to the FSB, the drones were being transported from Europe inside tiles, disguised as building materials.
- According to the FSB, Moldovan nationals and minors were involved in the preparations.
- The perpetrator has been detained and an accomplice was killed whilst resisting arrest — according to the FSB’s official account.
FSB statement on the prevention of a drone attack
Russia’s FSB has reported that it has foiled a «series of terrorist attacks» involving the use of FPV drones at a strategic facility in the Moscow Region and against servicemen of the Russian Ministry of Defence. According to the Russian security services, the operation was allegedly planned by the Ukrainian security services.
The FSB statement says that a blogger and a rapper have been named among the organisers Kyivstoner (Albert Vasilyev), who, according to the FSB, holds Ukrainian and US citizenship. Vasilyev has denied these allegations on social media.
Delivery method and contents of the consignment — the FSB’s version
According to the FSB, the drones were transported from Europe via Slovakia, Poland and Belarus to the Moscow Region. According to Russian security forces, the consignment was disguised as a shipment of Spanish ceramic tiles, inside which 35 FPV drones were discovered, fitted with Canadian-made control systems and warheads containing foreign explosives.
The Russian side claims that, in order to conceal the cargo, it was ordered remotely to be delivered to a warehouse containing building materials. According to the FSB, two Moldovan nationals were involved in preparing the drone launch.
The arrest of the suspects and the FSB’s version of events
The FSB reported that the perpetrator was to be a Russian citizen, a former member of an «ethnic organised criminal group», who had previously been convicted of serious crimes. He has been detained and, according to Russian security services, is giving evidence of collaboration with the Ukrainian side.
According to the FSB, the accomplice – a tenant who had received the consignment and disguised it as building materials – put up armed resistance during his arrest and was killed. The FSB also stated that minors aged between 13 and 16 were involved in the operation to activate SIM cards used to control the drones.
Kyivstoner’s reaction
The blogger and rapper Kyivstoner (Albert Vasilyev), whom the FSB named as one of the organisers, posted a rhetorical question on his Instagram regarding the allegations and described the smear campaign against him as a poor investment.
According to the FSB, Vasilyev lives in EU countries — Spain and Slovakia. Kyivstoner is known as a video blogger, rapper and former member of the band «Griby».
The context and an independent assessment of the FSB’s statement
The FSB’s claims regarding the alleged foiling of an SBU operation involving the use of drones in the Moscow Region contain a number of details that have not been corroborated by independent sources. Meanwhile, Kyivstoner has publicly denied any involvement in planning the attack on social media.
This is not the first time that the Russian security services have publicly accused Ukrainian citizens and prominent figures of planning acts of sabotage or terrorist attacks on Russian territory. Such statements are often accompanied by information campaigns, the aim of which may be to discredit individuals or the Ukrainian security services as a whole. As of the time of publication, there is no independent confirmation of the FSB’s claims.
