FSB Detains 23-Year-Old Woman for Attempted Terrorism Against Defense Employee in St. Petersburg

On Thursday, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced the arrest of a 23-year-old woman suspected of attempting to plant a bomb under the vehicle of a defense sector employee in St. Petersburg.

According to the FSB, the woman had been monitoring the movements of the defense employee since relocating to St. Petersburg in April. Neither her identity nor that of the defense worker has been disclosed.

Footage released by state news agencies showed FSB agents apprehending the woman after she was caught on camera placing an object beneath a parked SUV.

“I was instructed to find the car and that I would receive payment,” the woman, whose face was obscured, stated as law enforcement officers restrained her on the ground.

“I was attempting to plant some kind of device under the car,” she further explained when questioned about her actions.

In its announcement, the FSB noted that the woman had “proactively reached out” to Ukrainian intelligence services via WhatsApp and Telegram in June 2024.

“She expressed her desire to engage in sabotage and terrorist acts, hoping they could assist her in leaving [Russia] and acquiring citizenship of an EU nation,” the agency reported.

Prior to her move to St. Petersburg, the woman reportedly faced accusations of vandalism for spray-painting anti-war messages and attempting to ignite railway facilities in the Moscow area.

She has since been placed in pre-trial custody and charged with attempted terrorism, as well as the illegal possession and transportation of explosives.