A criminal investigation has been opened after a group of people were detained on Sunday for plotting a terrorist attack on Moscow's public transport system, the TASS news agency reported, citing a statement by the Federal Security Service's press service.
Several of the detainees had received training from Islamic State militants in Syria and came to Russia “long before” Russia launched an air offensive there, the statement said.
Russia's National Anti-Terrorism Committee on Sunday reported a group of terror suspects had been detained during a raid on an apartment in western Moscow, the Interfax news agency reported.
During the raid, officers seized and deactivated a homemade explosive, with a yield of about 5 kilograms of TNT equivalent, the FSB said in their statement, TASS reported.
During interrogations, two of the detainees confessed the group had been planning to stage an attack on Moscow's public transport system, the FSB said in its statement.
The FSB said a criminal investigation had been opened into the case on charges of planning a terrorist act, weapons trafficking and the manufacture of explosives, TASS said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin was receiving “constant updates” on the operation, TASS reported.
The explosive was similar to the devices used during the recent attack in Ankara, an unidentified official was quoted as saying by Interfax. The twin bombings that targeted a peace rally in the Turkish capital killed at least 95 people.
But unlike the suicide bombings in Turkey, the alleged attackers in Moscow had planned to set off their explosives with a mobile phone-based detonator, the source said, Interfax reported.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
