Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said Monday that its agents killed two men who were allegedly trying to carry out a sabotage attack on a railway line in Siberia’s Altai region over the weekend.
According to the FSB, the pair had sought to place a so-called derailing device along train tracks on Saturday evening. When security agents approached their vehicle to make an arrest, the two men began shooting and were subsequently shot and killed by return fire.
An FSB video released by state media showed what was said to be the shootout as it happened at night. A separate video showed investigators at the purported scene of the incident, where two bodies could be seen lying near an SUV riddled with bullet holes.
The state-run TASS news agency reported that the two men were armed with automatic assault rifles that had the phrase “Glory to Ukraine” written on them in Russian.
In a statement, the FSB said a member of an unspecified “terrorist organization” had recruited the two men via Telegram and had promised to give them a “material reward” for carrying out the sabotage attack.
The FSB and Russia’s Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, said they launched an investigation into sabotage, illegal arms possession and attempted murder of a law enforcement officer.
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