(MENAFN) Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced the arrest of a man allegedly involved in a Ukrainian-backed plot to assassinate the director of a Russian defense industry enterprise. The suspect, a Russian national, is accused of espionage and planning a targeted killing on behalf of Ukraine, and now faces high treason charges that could result in a life sentence.

According to the FSB’s statement on Tuesday, the man had connected with a member of a pro-Ukrainian terrorist group through Telegram. He was instructed to travel to the Bryansk Region, near the Ukrainian border, to retrieve a cache of explosives and firearms dropped by drone. These weapons were intended for use in an attack on the head of a defense-related facility located in Belgorod.

A video released by the FSB shows the suspect confessing to spying for Ukraine since June 2024. While serving on the front lines in Ukraine’s Kharkov Region, he reportedly sent Kiev information on the locations of Russian troops, military hardware, electronic warfare systems, and air defense sites.

He also admitted to helping coordinate Ukrainian missile and artillery strikes and passing along personal data and images of Russian military personnel.

Footage shows FSB agents apprehending the suspect in a rural area and recovering a hidden stash in the forest containing explosives and a firearm.

The FSB has blamed Ukrainian intelligence services for orchestrating several sabotage missions and attempted assassinations inside Russia in recent months, many targeting military officers and other strategic figures.

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