Russia's FSB has detained a local resident in the Altai Krai who was preparing an act of intimidation against migrants at the behest of a Ukrainian nationalist organization. This was reported to TASS on Friday by Russia's Public Relations Center (PRC). According to the agency, he was going to blow up a mosque.
"A local resident, a Russian citizen born in 2000, was detained in the city of Barnaul who planned to carry out "direct action" acts aimed at intimidating the local population, including natives of the Central Asian region, against Muslim mass gathering places and state authorities on the instructions of the so-called curator of the Ukrainian nationalist organization Ethnic National Union (ENO)," the FSB stressed.
The FSB specified that the detainee was planning to blow up a mosque in Barnaul. He said this during interrogation, the video of which was distributed by the PRC.
"I wanted to choose a target - to blow up a mosque in Barnaul," he said. The man explained that he was given tasks by the organization's handlers. The first one was to conduct a reconnaissance of the area near facilities, points of sale belonging to persons of non-Slavic appearance. "I fulfilled this task. The next task was to carry out the destruction of objects. The methods were selective, it was possible to carry out arson or, for example, an explosion," said the detainee.
As noted in the PRC, the activities of a supporter of the ENO, established to coordinate the actions of nationalists in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia in carrying out "direct action" against persons of non-Slavic appearance and the state authorities, were stopped as part of a criminal case under Article 205.3 of the Criminal Code ("Training for the purpose of terrorist activity"). The FSB noted that the propaganda work of this organization is carried out in the messenger Telegram, social networks Instagram and VKontakte.
During searches of the detainee, an explosive substance, instructions for the manufacture of improvised explosive devices, extremist literature, as well as communication tools containing photos of reconnaissance of objects of criminal encroachment, sent by him to the Ukrainian handler, were seized. "The detainee confesses to the incriminated crime. According to the testimony received, in February 2021 he proactively came into contact with a representative of the ENO in connection with his dissatisfaction with the state policy in the sphere of migration. At the beginning of March he was given the assignment to select targets for assassination and send a photo report, and was subsequently instructed to commit arson or other intimidating actions against the population," the FSB reported.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Creative Commons
Based on materials from TASS