Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has arrested four Russian teenagers in the city of Yekaterinburg on suspicion of plotting a terrorist attack. The FSB expressed that the teenagers, all Russian nationals born between 2007 and 2008, had been preparing to explode a bomb in a crowded place in the Urals city, roughly 1,700 kilometers east of the Russian capital, Moscow.
Russian authorities said they had confiscated components for an explosive apparatus and that detectives in the Sverdlovsk region had unlocked a criminal case. According to the FSB, the unnamed suspects adopted the ideas of a terrorist organization outlawed in Russia and prepared to execute a terrorist action employing a homemade explosive machine.
Two of the suspects are also suspected of being involved in an arson attack on a Russian Interior Ministry car on December 22. TASS reported that one of the suspects admitted to setting the police car alight after subscribing to “neo-Nazi channels on Telegram. The suspect stated he “read in the same channels [that] it is necessary to commit acts against the police.”
Likewise, on June 23, 2024, a coordinated attack was reported to target several places of worship and a police traffic stop in Dagestan, killing at least 27 people, of whom 17 were police officers and five citizens. Two synagogues and two Eastern Orthodox churches in the towns of Derbent and Makhachkala came under attack with automatic weapons and Molotov cocktails in an action classified by Russian authorities as an act of terrorism attributed to Islamic extremism. Five attackers were identified, and among them were people with close relations to local political figures, so there are serious concerns that such violence might have been orchestrated by local networks.
Earlier, in March 2024, more than 130 people were killed during an attack at a concert venue near Moscow, which was claimed by ISIS-K. It was one of the deadliest attacks in Russia’s recent history and thus presented a strong challenge to the narrative maintained by President Vladimir Putin regarding the safety of the nation. The attackers were reported to be from Tajikistan, making it a transnational threat.
The Federal Security Service of Russia is among the most vital agencies in the counter-terrorism efforts of the country. This is considering the persistent terrorism threat, particularly in the North Caucasus region. It originated as a replacement for the KGB and evolved into a super agency responsible for domestic security, intelligence operations, and counter-terrorism.
During the year 2024, there were successful anti-terrorism operations against regions such as Ingushetia and Adygea, where individuals associated with banned terrorists and terrorist organizations were preparing to carry out attacks on police and religious entities. Explosive materials and more were confiscated and indicated serious potential threats. Despite the vast powers and resources of the FSB, it has been criticized for its ineffectiveness and human rights concerns. Operations have sometimes led to heavy civilian casualties, which attract public outcry and criticism from human rights organizations.
