Alleged Railway Sabotage Plot Uncovered as Russian-German Dual Citizen Arrested.
In a concerning development, Russian authorities have arrested a man with dual Russian and German citizenship on suspicion of plotting to sabotage a railroad leading to Ukraine.
According to the Federal Security Service (FSB), the 21-year-old individual, whose name has not been disclosed, was found in possession of an improvised explosive device (IED) at his home in Nizhny Novgorod, a city located approximately 450 km east of Moscow.
The FSB claimed that the man had been planning to carry out an attack on a section of the railroad in Nizhny Novgorod, allegedly at the behest of a “member of the Ukrainian special services” with whom he had been in contact.
Footage broadcast by the Russian military news outlet Zvezda appears to show a blurred-out figure purporting to be the accused, confessing to the alleged plot. However, it remains unclear whether the man’s statements were made under duress.
In the video, the individual is heard stating that he had arrived in Russia last year and met a person named Artyom online, who he claimed was affiliated with Ukrainian intelligence.
The man said he was offered money to carry out various acts of sabotage, including setting fire to a fuse box and drawing pro-Ukrainian graffiti, with the final task being to “blow up, well, derail a train, a freight train.”
The German Foreign Ministry has acknowledged the arrest, stating that the German embassy in Moscow is seeking consular access to the individual. However, the ministry noted that Russia typically denies consular access to dual nationals, considering them solely as Russian citizens.
This incident comes amid heightened concerns over the security of Russia’s infrastructure, with Moscow having accused pro-Ukrainian sabotage groups and Ukraine’s intelligence agency of carrying out numerous attacks on railway lines since the start of the conflict in 2022.
As the investigation into this latest alleged plot unfolds, the case highlights the complex geopolitical dynamics and security challenges facing both Russia and its neighbors in the ongoing conflict.
