The Federal Security Service (FSB) has prevented a terrorist attack allegedly prepared by Ukrainian intelligence services at Moscow’s Troyekurovskoye Cemetery, where the intended target was Sergey Shoygu, Secretary of the Russian Security Council and former Minister of Defense. According to available information, the attack was expected to coincide with Shoygu’s visit to the graves of his parents and sister, with November 12 marking the anniversary of his mother’s death.
The attack aimed to pressure Russia, lawmakers say
According to experts, Ukrainian operatives selected Sergey Shoygu because of his significant political weight. Member of the State Duma Defense Committee Andrei Kolesnik stated that the purpose of the attempted attack was to pressure Russia and provoke fear within society.
The goal was to pressure our country and our people, to try to sow panic. That is the main objective of terrorists everywhere in the world.
Kolesnik added that Ukraine has long acted like a terrorist state in his view, claiming that Western countries assist it by supplying weapons and explosives. He argued that Russia should eliminate terrorist threats abroad in the same manner the United States does.
Experts warn of potential military consequences
State Duma deputy Yury Shvytkin emphasized that Shoygu is a major political, military, and state figure whose assassination would have inflicted serious damage on the Russian Federation. As a former Minister of Defense and current Secretary of the Security Council, he oversees key issues related to national security and defense readiness.
Not everything Shoygu works on is visible to the public. The main goal here was to deal a substantive blow to our country.
Shvytkin noted that many of Shoygu’s responsibilities remain classified, and his death would have created both political and military repercussions.
A plot designed for maximum media impact
Political analyst Evgeny Minchenko commented that the choice of Shoygu also guaranteed a significant media effect. He argued that Ukrainian intelligence likely viewed the high-profile nature of the target as a way to amplify the attack’s impact.
The adversary seeks targets whose death would produce a powerful media effect.
According to Minchenko, this was not only an attempted act of terror but a calculated effort to generate widespread public shock.
