Russia claims it thwarted plans for Victory Day terror attack in Daghestan

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has reported the detention of a 29-year-old woman in Daghestani city of Khasavyurt, on suspicion of preparing a terrorist attack on Victory Day – on 9 May. According to the FSB, the suspect intended to detonate an improvised explosive device (IED) outside a law enforcement building.

During a search, components for making an IED were found in her possession, along with a mobile phone containing messages in which she discussed the planned attack and her pledge of allegiance to a terrorist organisation. The FSB did not specify which group was involved.

‘In a Telegram channel in an Islamic group, I met a man named Abdulla. He asked me to photograph various institutions in Khasavyurt and the Khasavyurt district. He gave me tasks, including buying different substances to carry out a terrorist attack on 9 May — either to plant an explosive or to blow myself up,’ said the woman accused of planning the attack on the video published by Russian state-run media outlet TASS.

Investigators have launched a criminal case under several articles of the Russian Criminal Code: Article 205.3 (undertaking training for the purpose of carrying out terrorist activity); Part 1 of Article 30 and Paragraph 'a' of Part 2 of Article 205 (preparation for committing a terrorist act by a group of persons in collusion); and Part 1 of Article 30 and Part 2 of Article 223.1 (preparation for the illegal manufacture of explosive substances and devices).

Russia celebrates Victory Day on 9 May, marking the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. It is one of the most significant national holidays, featuring large public gatherings, military parades, and commemorative events across the country. Due to the symbolic importance of the day and the concentration of crowds, security concerns are heightened, and authorities fear that extremist groups may attempt attacks to maximise impact and media attention. Over the years, Russian security services have repeatedly reported the prevention of planned terrorist acts timed to coincide with Victory Day celebrations.

It was the latest case of a thwarted terrorist plot in Daghestan in recent months.

In April, four people were detained following an attack on a police officer. According to the investigation, they were planning an assault on a local Interior Ministry office. Their identities have not been disclosed, and no official confirmation of links to the underground has been provided.

In December 2024, the FSB detained 12 people suspected of planning a large-scale terrorist act using improvised explosive devices. Weapons, ammunition, components for IEDs, and tonnes of ammonium nitrate were seized from the suspects.

Earlier, in November 2024, two local residents were arrested in the village of Kurush, Khasavyurt district, on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack targeting a state institution. Authorities stated that the suspects had undergone training in the assembly of explosive devices and acquired the necessary materials, but were apprehended before they could carry out the attack.

Five people arrested in Daghestan on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack

Five people have been arrested in Daghestan on charges of organising and participating in a terrorist community, illegal possession of explosives and substances, and preparation to commit a terrorist act. The arrests were reported by the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti on Monday, which cited sources from Russia’s security services. The unidentified source told RIA Novosti that the five suspects bought components to make an explosive device. SHOT, a Russian Telegram channel affil

OC MediaElizaveta Chukharova