The Federal Security Service has accused the suspects of inciting violence via social media and messaging apps
Russian authorities have detained nine people accused of spreading terrorist propaganda for posting online threats to kill military personnel, law enforcement officers, and their relatives.
The Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Thursday that the suspects, all Russian citizens, had published the content on social media and messaging platforms.
The FSB said the individuals were arrested in Krasnodar, Astrakhan, Vladimir, Murmansk, Omsk, Kherson, and Yaroslavl regions, as well as the Jewish Autonomous Region.
The security service published video footage it says shows officers carrying out the detentions. In the recordings, some of the suspects admitted to holding pro-Ukrainian views and to publishing messages that promoted violence against Russians.
The FSB stated that investigators have launched criminal cases under the articles for propaganda of terrorism and public calls for extremist activity. The accused have been placed in pre-trial detention and could face up to seven years in prison if convicted.
According to the security agency, Ukrainian intelligence services continue to seek out Russian nationals online for recruitment into acts of terrorism and subversion. “The main targets are people with little legal knowledge who do not understand the gravity of the crimes they are committing,” the FSB said in the statement.
The agency has urged the public to remain vigilant and avoid engaging in provocative online behavior, warning that criminal liability may follow such actions.
The FSB frequently reports arrests of individuals allegedly recruited through social media and messaging apps to participate in Ukrainian sabotage and terror operations. These suspects are typically guided remotely and instructed to carry out specific tasks inside Russia.
Earlier this week, the agency announced the arrest of a Russian national in Nizhny Novgorod Region who was allegedly attempting to retrieve an improvised explosive device from a hidden cache. The suspect had reportedly been acting on orders from Ukrainian intelligence handlers.
