Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) claims to have thwarted a plot by Ukrainian agents to sabotage military equipment intended for Russian drone pilots, according to Russian state media.
The FSB alleges that improvised explosive devices were concealed within FPV (First-Person View) drone goggles meant for Russian forces. These goggles were reportedly supplied to Russian humanitarian organizations and charity foundations that then forwarded them to frontline troops.
A statement from the FSB described the Ukrainian agents as posing as 'pseudo-patriots' in their effort to distribute the booby-trapped equipment. While some of the alleged devices may have reached the front lines, it is not yet known if any Russian drone pilots were injured.
One witness, a volunteer, stated she was unaware of the specifics of the gear she received and forwarded. Another individual reportedly became suspicious of the goggles and contacted security authorities. A woman who agreed to supply the goggles to Russian troops was approached by FSB officers who informed her they contained an explosive device.
The FSB stated that explosives experts conducted X-ray tests and found that Ukrainian security services had planted improvised explosives in place of coolers within the FPV drone goggles.
This alleged plot is being compared to a similar incident in September 2024, where thousands of handheld pagers and hundreds of walkie-talkies intended for Hezbollah fighters exploded simultaneously in Lebanon and Syria, resulting in numerous injuries. That attack was attributed to Israel.
Ukraine has not yet officially commented on the FSB's accusations.
Elsewhere, Russian authorities reported that hackers sent fake emergency alerts to users of the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry's mobile app, warning of a nuclear threat. Ukraine's emergency alert app was also reportedly targeted by cyberattacks, with users receiving false warnings. The motives and affiliations of the alleged hackers remain unclear, and it is not yet confirmed if the two cyber incidents are related.
In the ongoing conflict, Ukrainian authorities reported multiple Russian drone attacks in the Kherson region, and drone strikes injured civilians and damaged property in the eastern Kharkiv region and the Black Sea port city of Odesa. Russia's Ministry of Defense claimed to have shot down over 200 Ukrainian drones overnight.