The FSB reported on the prevention of a terrorist attack in Stavropol.

An attack on a security officer in Stavropol was thwarted. The suspect died in an explosion during his arrest, the security service reported.

As reported by the Caucasian Knot, on February 20, the FSB reported the thwarting of a terrorist attack at the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation building in Stavropol. A man preparing an explosion on behalf of Ukrainian intelligence services was killed in a shootout, the agency announced.

A sabotage and terrorist attack against a law enforcement officer and his family was prevented in Stavropol, the FSB announced today on its website.

According to security officials, the attack was prepared by a Russian citizen born in 1995 on behalf of Ukrainian intelligence services. "He removed an improvised explosive device (IED) from a cache with the intention of subsequently blowing up the target's personal vehicle. When the saboteur was detained by officers of the Russian FSB special forces, his Ukrainian handler remotely detonated the IED, resulting in fatal injuries to the perpetrator. Security personnel and civilians were not harmed," the publication states.

A second IED, consisting of 1.5 kilograms of explosive, an electric detonator, and a "GSM-module-based mechanism with a microphone for monitoring the acoustic environment," was seized from the scene, as well as the deceased's phone, which contained correspondence with a Ukrainian special services officer, the agency claims.

"A criminal case has been opened under Part 1 of Article 30 (preparation for a crime and attempted crime) and paragraph "a" of Part 2 of Article 205 (preparation for a terrorist act) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation," the statement reads.

20:32 26.04.2022

Analysts doubt the genuineness of the terrorist threat in Stavropol

Security services are motivated to spread falsified reports about the detention of suspected terrorists in Stavropol to improve reporting and for propaganda purposes, suggested journalist Elena Suslova and human rights activist Arsen Sarkisov. Valery Ledovskoy, coordinator of the Center for Civil Initiatives of the North Caucasus Federal District, identified the likely purpose of such propaganda as warnings about the consequences of participating in radical organizations.

As a reminder, in 2025, security forces regularly reported on thwarted terrorist attacks in Stavropol. For example, in December 2025, security forces detained an 18-year-old resident of Kuban in Stavropol. According to investigators, she came to blow up the car of a serviceman. Security officials believe the man killed on February 20 hid an explosive device in a hiding place, which the girl used to bomb a car near a military unit.

On October 29, 2025, the FSB reported the arrest of a Georgievsk resident, born in 1980, suspected of plotting an explosion at a transport infrastructure facility.

Earlier, on October 20, 2025, the special services announced the arrest of a man born in 2000, detained in connection with a terrorist attack on the Georgievsk administration building. Security officials identified him as a local resident, although during interrogation he stated that he had "arrived" in the Stavropol Territory.

In May 2025, nine people, including eight teenagers, suspected of plotting attacks on police officers were taken into custody in Stavropol Krai. Some of the detainees told security forces that they swore an oath to a terrorist organization without understanding the meaning.

Before this incident, since the beginning of 2025, the FSB had reported preventing terrorist attacks in Stavropol Krai at least four times. Analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" disputed these FSB reports. The reports are due to the activity of terrorist supporters and preventive measures by security forces, stated journalist Vasily Balditsyn and scientist Alexey Gunya. Interior Ministry Colonel Amir Kolov countered that security services in the North Caucasus are also persecuting activists and critics of security forces.

Materials with monthly, quarterly, and annual casualty counts of the armed conflict in the North Caucasus regions are published in the section "North Caucasus – Casualty Statistics." Annual statistics are also presented as infographics.