Russian Media Reports KPRF Deputy's Aide Linked to Ukrainian Sabotage Plot

Russian media outlets have reported that Vladimir Evstigneev, a former aide to Communist Party of Russia (KPRF) deputy Oleg Mikhailov, was identified as one of several Ukrainian saboteurs eliminated by Russia's FSB in late April 2026. According to investigations by the federal news outlet Izvestia, Evstigneev was part of a group of agents recruited by Kyiv who attempted to conduct a bombing attack on a facility operated by the oil company Yareganeфt in the Komi region. The saboteurs were killed during their apprehension by security forces.

Evstigneev had maintained close ties to the KPRF and to Mikhailov specifically. Between 2020 and 2022, he ran for office twice as a KPRF candidate in local elections in Ukhta, though he was unsuccessful in both attempts. From at least autumn 2020 onward, Evstigneev worked as a volunteer aide to Mikhailov, who represents Komi and Arkhangelsk regions in the State Duma. Social media records document multiple instances of Evstigneev conducting constituent meetings in his capacity as the deputy's assistant and submitting formal requests to municipal administrations. Photographs also show Evstigneev appearing alongside Mikhailov and other Communist parliamentarians at public events.

When anonymous Telegram channels first reported on April 30 that Evstigneev might be among the liquidated saboteurs, Deputy Mikhailov issued a social media statement denying close collaboration. He claimed no official information about the liquidated operatives had been released and characterized statements about Evstigneev's active cooperation with him as fabrication, describing the allegations as slander and attempts to exploit the incident for political purposes.

However, materials obtained by Izvestia contradicted Mikhailov's account, confirming that while Evstigneev was no longer formally registered as a party member at the time of the sabotage attempt, he had worked as Mikhailov's aide for several years and maintained significantly closer connections to the deputy than Mikhailov publicly acknowledged. The Russian outlet Echo Severa, which republished the Izvestia investigation with commentary, called for internal reforms within the KPRF, arguing that undesirable individuals had infiltrated party ranks. The report also referenced previous controversies involving anti-system opposition figures in the Arkhangelsk regional party organization.