Thu Dec 26 11:11:14 UTC 2024: ## Russia Arrests Suspects in Alleged Ukrainian Assassination Plot
**Moscow, December 26, 2024** – The Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia announced today the arrest of four Russian nationals suspected of involvement in a plot to assassinate senior Russian military officials. The alleged plot, which involved plans for both remotely detonated car bombs and explosive devices concealed in envelopes, comes just days after the killing of Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, head of Russia’s Radiation, Biological and Chemical Defense Forces, and his assistant.
The FSB claims the suspects were preparing to assassinate at least one high-ranking Defense Ministry official. A video of the arrests and interrogations of the suspects has been released by the agency, although the identities of those detained have not been publicly revealed. One suspect, an Uzbekistani citizen, reportedly confessed to being recruited by Ukrainian intelligence services.
Kirillov’s death, which occurred on December 17th from a bomb hidden on an electric scooter, was claimed by Ukraine and has reignited tensions in Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin described the assassination as a “major blunder” by Russian security agencies, calling for improvements in their effectiveness. The FSB’s announcement suggests a swift response to the high-profile killing, highlighting the ongoing tensions and accusations of cross-border espionage and assassination attempts between Russia and Ukraine.
First Piper 