FSB Thwarts Plot to Derail Fuel Train in Moscow Region; Two Russian Suspects Detained

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on June 22, 2026, the arrest of two Russian citizens accused of plotting to bomb a train carrying fuel in the Moscow region. According to an official statement from the FSB’s Public Relations Center, the suspects were acting on instructions from a Ukrainian handler and intended to derail the train by planting an improvised explosive device on the tracks.

The FSB stated that the operation uncovered that the detainees had retrieved a homemade bomb from a hidden cache and conducted reconnaissance along railway lines in the Moscow area, selecting a specific location to place the device. The suspects were taken into custody during a series of operational and investigative measures, and authorities reported that they have begun providing confessions. A procedural decision regarding criminal charges is currently being prepared.

The arrests were the culmination of a lengthy surveillance operation targeting a group of individuals across the Moscow and Smolensk regions. During the investigation, FSB officers documented attempts by the group to acquire explosive materials. The detainees were found in possession of communication devices that reportedly corroborate their intent to commit a terrorist act.

This incident follows a broader security alert in Russia. On June 9, the National Anti-Terrorism Committee reported that the number of terrorist-related crimes in the Northwestern Federal District had more than tripled compared to 2023. The committee linked the rise to the Ukrainian government's efforts to damage Russian economic infrastructure and defense capabilities, including through drone attacks and attempts to recruit Russian citizens, particularly young people, for terrorist activities.