Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has detained a man in Moscow on suspicion of launching drones near Russian military sites, the state news agency TASS reported Friday, citing an official statement.
A video released by the FSB showed masked agents raiding a house and arresting a middle-aged man whose face was blurred.
“They asked me to launch fireworks when they crossed into Belgorod [region], as I understood later,” the man said when asked by one of the agents about the Freedom of Russia Legion, an anti-Kremlin militia fighting on the side of Ukraine.
On Wednesday, the pro-Ukrainian militia urged civilians to flee the cities of Belgorod and Kursk near the Ukrainian border, threatening large-scale attacks on military targets there.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed Friday that it had fought off a Ukrainian incursion into the Belgorod region village of Kozinka the previous day, as well as all other attempts over the past week to breach its territory.
According to the FSB, the man in Moscow “assembled and launched unmanned aerial vehicles to create decoys in close proximity to Russian Defense Ministry facilities.”
It added that Moscow’s Lefortovo District Court placed him in pre-trial detention.
The unidentified man faces a maximum sentence of life in prison on charges of high treason.
The FSB said he had pleaded guilty to the charges.
Law enforcement authorities said later on Friday they had also arrested a woman in the border region of Belgorod for allegedly planning to blow up railroad tracks on orders from Ukraine.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
