The head of Russia’s FSB security service on Tuesday accused Ukraine and the West of recruiting young Russians to carry out armed attacks in their homeland.
Security chief Alexander Bortnikov’s accusation comes a week after President Vladimir Putin accused the West of helping Kiev carry out “terrorist attacks” in Russia as Moscow continues its military offensive against Ukraine.
Russia has clamped down on criticism of its campaign in Ukraine, with a growing number of treason cases and long prison sentences for dissidents on social media.
“Under the circumstances of Russia conducting the special military operation, the Ukrainian special forces and their Western trustees have launched aggressive ideological indoctrination and recruitment of our citizens, especially the younger generation, to engage them in sabotage, terrorist activities and extremists,” said Bortnikov. told a Moscow meeting of the National Counterterrorism Commission.
Bortnikov claimed that “118 terrorist crimes have been prevented in Russia” since last February, when Moscow began its invasion of the neighboring country.
The security chief did not provide details about the type of alleged crimes, where they took place or who the targets were, but claimed that “the perpetrators were young people and teenagers, including minors”.
In early March, Russia detained a young woman after an explosion killed a leading military blogger in St Petersburg, blaming Ukraine and the opposition. Little is known about the attack.
Russia has also witnessed a series of arson attacks on army recruiting centers since Putin launched a mobilization campaign last September.
The Russian leader said last week that “there is reason to allege” that Western intelligence services were involved in “organizing sabotage and terrorist attacks”.
Source: DN
