Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Russia Cites Surge in Sabotage and Drone Strikes as FSB Urges Tougher Counterterror Measures

Officials set 2026 priorities focused on stricter laws, upgraded defenses, closer ties with friendly states.

Overview

  • At a joint NAK and Federal Operational Headquarters meeting in Moscow, FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov reported a significant rise in sabotage and terrorist acts attributed to Ukrainian special services and neo‑Nazi formations.
  • Bortnikov said attackers increasingly use unmanned systems against transport and fuel‑energy facilities, with continued shelling of border regions and attempts to insert sabotage‑reconnaissance groups into Russia.
  • He asserted that methods are being modernized under Western intelligence guidance, citing shifts in the use of explosive devices and toxic substances.
  • He called for effective, proportionate responses across all levels of government and directed ministries to strengthen facility protection and carry out the comprehensive plan to counter terrorist ideology.
  • Authorities highlighted tightened laws, including harsher penalties, a lower age of criminal liability for certain terrorism‑related offenses, broader grounds to revoke acquired citizenship for foreigners, and expanded cooperation through an international counterterrorism database and SCO/CIS platforms.