Russian authorities apprehended an individual for allegedly planning a sabotage operation near Chelyabinsk, on the orders of Ukraine.
In recent months, there have been reports of arson incidents on communication and railway infrastructure in Dagestan, as well as an attempted sabotage near Chelyabinsk. However, the identity of the individuals responsible for these incidents remains unclear.
In January 2024, a Ukrainian saboteur was reportedly responsible for setting fire to a Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber at Chelyabinsk Shagol Airport, according to Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR). Yet, no direct identification of a Russian national linked to this event or to the arson in Dagestan has been found in the available search results.
More recently, in July 2025, two brothers aged 16 and 17 were detained in the Chelyabinsk region on charges of sabotage. They are alleged to have set fire to a mobile communication station and electrical equipment, and are said to have communicated with an unknown person acting in the interests of Ukraine, receiving payment for their acts.
Meanwhile, in another Russian region, police and FSB officers have detained two suspects in a railway sabotage case. The FSB has seized communication devices and electronic data carriers from the detainee, which contain photo reports and correspondence with handlers located in Ukraine. Criminal cases have been opened against the two detained individuals, and the suspect in the sabotage and the collected materials have been handed over to the Russian Investigative Committee.
Despite the ongoing investigations, no clear connection in the documented sources identifies a named Russian national responsible for the arson on communication and railway infrastructure in Dagestan during January 2024. The investigation into these incidents continues, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
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- The 'general-news' sources of July 2025 report the detention of two brothers in Chelyabinsk region on charges of sabotage, accused of setting fire to a communication station and electrical equipment, suspected of having communicated with an unknown individual acting in the interests of Ukraine.
- While crime-and-justice updates reveal that suspects in a railway sabotage case have been detained in a different Russian region, providing photo reports and correspondence with handlers in Ukraine, the identity of the individual responsible for the arson on Dagestan's communication and railway infrastructure in January 2024 remains unclear, according to political and general-news sources.
