FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Another episode of mystery and internal tension is circulating in Russia, as pro-Kremlin media claim that the target of a failed assassination attempt was the Secretary of the Security Council, Sergei Shoigu, who until recently was the Minister of Defense. So far, official authorities have not confirmed this name, but the new reports are fueling widespread debate.
The Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Friday that it had uncovered a plot against a “high-ranking official” while he was at the Troyekurovskoye cemetery in Moscow, visiting the grave of a relative. Security agents said they had found a hidden camera inside a flower pot, set up to monitor the official’s movements.
The Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper, without citing specific sources, reported on Monday that the target was Sergei Shoigu, the former Defense Minister replaced in 2024 by Andrei Belousov.
Duma deputy Andrei Kolesnik called the incident part of a “broader campaign to destabilize Russia.” “Shoigu is an influential figure. The goal is to put pressure on our country, to incite panic,” he said.
Meanwhile, law enforcement authorities have not yet commented on the newspaper's claims.
According to the FSB, Ukrainian intelligence is suspected of recruiting a Russian couple, an illegal immigrant from Central Asia, and a Kiev resident, Jaloliddin Shamsov, to carry out the assassination. All three have been arrested inside Russian territory, although it is not yet clear what specific charges they will face.
State media also released a video in which the arrested Russian woman admits that she was promised a quantity of drugs by a man named Ruslan in exchange for placing a hidden camera in the cemetery. It is not known whether the confession was made under duress or not, as her identity and age have not been made public.
The FSB has meanwhile issued an arrest warrant for Shamsov, who is wanted for illegal arms trafficking and murder, linked to a 2021 event in Bashkortostan.
Since the start of the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, several Russian officials and pro-Kremlin figures have been killed inside Russia and in the occupied territories, raising suspicions of internal clashes and increasing threats at the highest levels of the state.
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