Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) says it has prevented an alleged Ukrainian plan to assassinate a senior Russian government official in Moscow, adding to rising tensions between the two countries.

According to the FSB’s statement on Friday, Ukrainian operatives had reportedly planned to target the official during a visit to family graves at a Moscow cemetery. The agency also claimed that similar attacks were being prepared across other Russian regions.
Reuters said it could not independently verify the FSB’s allegations.

Ukraine has previously carried out strikes inside Russian territory, including attacks on military sites and high-profile targets, since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Russia Reports Intercepting Over 200 Ukrainian Drones

In a separate update, Russia’s Defence Ministry reported that air defence units shot down or intercepted 216 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Among the regions affected:

• Krasnodar: 66 drones were destroyed. Local officials said an oil depot and port infrastructure had been targeted.
• Saratov: The regional governor confirmed that drone debris caused damage to civilian facilities.
• Volgograd: Authorities said air defence systems successfully repelled a drone attack on energy infrastructure overnight.

Russian officials say drone attacks targeting energy, military, and civilian sites have sharply increased in recent weeks.