MOSCOW, July 10. /TASS/. Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) planned a large-scale terrorist attack on a military airfield in Rostov-on-Don using AI-equipped FPV drones, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said. The suspected perpetrator reported the planned attack to the authorities, and the operation was subsequently carried out under the FSB's control before being thwarted at the preparation stage.
TASS has compiled the key facts known so far.
Preventing the attack
- The FSB identified a Russian citizen in the Rostov Region sought by Ukraine's military intelligence to recruit to carry out a sabotage and terrorist attack in exchange for a monetary reward after blowing up the Rostov-Central military airfield.
- After receiving the offer from a GUR representative, the man voluntarily contacted the regional security service and reported the planned terrorist attack, the FSB said.
- The subsequent operation was conducted under the supervision of FSB officers.
- Instructions for carrying out the attack and the coordinates of a cache containing FPV drones were obtained from the GUR operative.
- After the drones were located and deactivated, and after the suspect received an advance payment equal to 20% of the promised reward, contact with the foreign intelligence service was severed, the FSB said.
- As a result of the measures taken and the prompt response to the information provided, the planned terrorist attack was prevented at the preparation stage.
Kiev's plans
- The goal of the large-scale attack was to destroy the airfield's infrastructure, kill military personnel, and damage its aircraft fleet, the FSB said.
- The enemy planned to use 13 AI-equipped FPV drones, each carrying more than one kilogram of explosives in TNT equivalent.
- According to an FSB officer involved in deactivating the drones, Ukraine's intelligence services intended to attack the military airfield with a swarm of drones equipped with an automatic terminal guidance system.
- He said each drone had its own color marking and a designated target square.
- Once inside that target area, the drones would lose communications and automatically guide themselves to the target.
Investigation
- The planned attack was one of a series of unprecedented terrorist attacks prepared by Ukraine's special services that the FSB has thwarted.
- Efforts to identify everyone involved in preparing the planned terrorist attack are ongoing.