RT.com
24 Mar 2026, 17:04 GMT+10
Kievs agents planned to send explosive devices disguised as humanitarian aid, according to the security agency
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has thwarted a Ukrainian plot to deliver over 500 improvised explosive devices (IED) disguised as heated shoe insoles to Russian military personnel, the agency announced on Tuesday.
The FSB said a foreign national was detained in Moscow after retrieving a parcel containing 504 IEDs from a transport company. The shipment had been smuggled into Russia from Poland via Belarus. The devices were camouflaged as thermal insoles, with the explosive component designed to detonate when the heating element is connected to a power source, according to the FSB.
Each device has an explosive force equivalent to 1.5 grams of TNT and was intended to blow off a portion of a soldier's limb when used during combat operations. Ukrainian special services planned to send the insoles to frontline Russian military units under the guise of humanitarian aid, the agency said.
width="560"
height="315"
src="https://mf.b37mrtl.ru/files/2026.03/69c25ed520302741c97af6bc.mp4" frameborder="0"
>
The FSB also said it had prevented an attempt by Ukrainian intelligence to purchase fiber-optic drones in Moscow. The drones, capable of carrying a payload of up to 20 kg, are used by the Russian military for supply missions and targeting enemy equipment. Ukrainian handlers used hacked accounts of Russian citizens on Telegram, Avito, and the Yandex Go app to contact the manufacturer.
Following the threat, units of the FSB, Interior Ministry, and National Guard have been placed on heightened alert. Investigators are searching for other individuals involved in the plot.
The FSB warned that Ukrainian special services frequently disguise explosive devices as everyday objects. Past seizures have included IEDs hidden in electric stoves, manicure sets, hair care products, perfume sets, power banks, speakers, icons, church items, auto parts, paving stones, and goggles used for operating FPV drones.
The agency urged citizens to report any suspicious objects and to immediately contact law enforcement if their email, social media, or messenger accounts are hacked or their personal data is compromised.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of St Petersburg Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to St Petersburg Star.
More InformationNEW DELHI/SINGAPORE: Refiners in India and across Asia are exploring purchases of Iranian oil after the United States temporarily eased...
OTTAWA/WASHINGTON/TOKYO: Major central banks signalled caution on inflation as they kept interest rates unchanged, warning that rising...
LONDON/DUBAI: Airline disruptions from the Iran war are forcing planes into long detours and even full round-trips back to origin,...
The Rassvet network aims to deliver broadband internet to remote areas and aircraft in flight A Russian private space company has...
The Rassvet network aims to deliver broadband internet to remote areas and aircraft in flight ...
The global energy market is facing one of its most severe disruptions in decades with the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz...
SAN FRANCISCO, California: Elon Musk has been found liable by a U.S. federal jury for defrauding Twitter shareholders during his US$44...
American President Donald Trump says the U.S. has held two days of talks with Tehran on a plan to end the war and has scrapped a 48-hour...
NEW YORK CITY, New York (ANI) - A major aviation tragedy struck LaGuardia Airport late Sunday local time when a commercial flight collided...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: In the first step towards the Trump administration's plan to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, a portion...
NASHVILLE, Tennessee: A reporter for a Spanish-language news outlet in Tennessee who claimed she was wrongly detained by the U.S. Immigration...
Masked federal agents kidnap a father as he waits to pick up his child from school. An ice cream cart is abandoned on the sidewalk,...
