Russia’s FSB says 280 people arrested on suspicion of terrorism in the North Caucasus in 2025
Since the beginning of 2025, 280 people have been arrested in the North Caucasus on suspicion of terrorism, including attempts to join foreign terrorist groups and ‘Ukrainian nationalist formations’, Federal Security Service (FSB) Director Aleksandr Bortnikov said.
According to Bortnikov, most of the detainees are allegedly supporters of ‘radical views that are unusual for Russia’. He did not specify which views he meant. The security service also reported preventing 33 crimes, of which 27 were classified as terrorist acts.
The FSB director additionally reported a rise in the proportion of minors among those detained. According to him, this is linked to recruitment via the internet and the activities of clergy who studied abroad.
The last time the FSB reported on the prevention of a terrorist act in the North Caucasus was on 6 October. According to the security service, in the Kavminvody area there was a planned arson at the building of the Pyatigorsk religious community. One person was detained. Two knives and communication devices containing correspondence with a foreign coordinator of criminal activity via the Telegram messenger were allegedly seized. No further details about the identity or motivation of the detainee or the ‘coordinator’ were provided in the FSB report.
Information on specific evidence of the detainees’ guilt and on case materials is usually not disclosed in official FSB statements. Likewise, details about the identities or motivations of the individuals involved in alleged illegal activity are not provided.
At the same time, on Tuesday, Ingushetia‘s state-run television broadcast a report about the start of lectures for schoolchildren on the recruitment of minors by Ukrainian intelligence services and on countering terrorism. One of the first such events took place in Magas.
During the meeting, a representative of the republic’s Investigative Committee said that schoolchildren were being involved in interactive tasks to collect intelligence and commit arson. He noted that minors were offered up to ₽30,000 ($375) for completing the tasks. As an example, he cited an assignment to photograph Magas airport, which, according to the investigation, marks the start of recruitment.
According to the report, the victims of the recruiters are teenagers aged 15–18 from disadvantaged families who seek ways to earn income via the internet.
No further information is publicly available regarding the progress of investigations into cases involving minors allegedly recruited in the North Caucasus.
Elizaveta Chukharova
