FSB kills former KPRF deputy aide in Komi on suspicion of plotting oil facility bombing

Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) officers killed Vladimir Evstigneev, a former assistant to State Duma deputy Oleg Mikhailov of the Communist Party (KPRF), in the Komi Republic on suspicion of plotting an explosion at an oil facility. According to FSB statements released on April 27, 2026, Evstigneev and another individual allegedly planned to destroy the facility using unmanned drones equipped with homemade explosives and offered armed resistance during their apprehension. The FSB did not initially identify the deceased individuals.

News outlet Izvestiya subsequently published identifying documents and photographs purporting to confirm Evstigneev's identity, including images of his driver's license, his wife's bank card, and a photograph of his body at the scene with a blurred face. State records indicate Evstigneev's death occurred on April 24, 2026, three days after his 53rd birthday. The publication of these materials by Izvestiya came several days after pro-government channels and regional outlets had claimed Evstigneev was among those killed, though without providing supporting evidence at that time.

Evstigneev had run as a candidate in municipal elections in the city of Ukhta, Komi in 2022. He served as an assistant to KPRF State Duma deputy Oleg Mikhailov. Following the disclosure of his death, Mikhailov stated that Evstigneev had left the KPRF in 2023 and had "effectively ceased party activities long before his exclusion from the party," adding that their relationship had ended following his departure from the organization.