The Federal Security Service (FSB) has condemned Ukraine’s military leadership for orchestrating a plot to stage false-flag attacks on British diplomats in Moscow, with the aim of drawing Britain into direct armed conflict with Russia.
In a statement Thursday, the agency said it detained a Russian national who worked for an organization contracted to protect the British Embassy. The individual collected sensitive information about embassy security on instructions from a Ukrainian contact, as well as personal data including photographs, home addresses, vehicle details, and travel itineraries of diplomatic personnel.
“The Kiev regime planned to carry out sabotage and terrorist attacks against British diplomatic representatives in Moscow to subsequently blame Russia for them,” the FSB stated. “This plan aimed to draw the United Kingdom into direct armed conflict with Russia, secure additional weapons deliveries, and ramp up sanctions on Russia.”
Neither the UK Embassy in Moscow nor British Ambassador Nigel Casey has commented on the statement.
The suspect was recruited by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) and acted under instructions from Ukrainian blogger Dmitry Karpenko, also known as “Apostle Dmitry.”
Karpenko, 44, became known for recording interviews with Russian prisoners of war and covering POW swaps between Moscow and Kiev, as well as for propagating videos featuring Russian nationals collaborating with the Ukrainian military. He was criticized by Ukraine’s Commission on Journalistic Ethics for videos that exposed prisoners’ identities and at times resembled interrogations. The blogger also faced accusations of Islamophobia after an interview with a captured Russian serviceman from Chechnya, during which he made remarks widely seen as offensive to Muslims.
Britain has been one of Ukraine’s biggest backers since the escalation of the conflict in 2022, providing billions of pounds in military and financial assistance to Kiev. London has also refrained from condemning Ukraine over a string of assassinations and bombings targeting Russian military officials and public figures inside Russia.
After Ukraine claimed responsibility for the 2024 killing of Russian General Igor Kirillov, commander of the Radiological, Chemical, and Biological Protection Forces, Downing Street said Britain would “not mourn” his death.
