Russian law enforcement agencies have thwarted over 100 terrorist attacks that were masterminded by Kiev or its Western backers in 2024, the National Antiterrorism Committee (NAC) has said.
In a statement on Tuesday, the NAC reaffirmed its determination to prevent terrorist attacks in Russia, especially after Ukraine launched its large-scale cross-border offensive in Kursk Region.
As the fighting on the border continues, Ukraine, backed by Western intelligence services, has unleashed an “unprecedented anti-Russian information campaign” to foment division and social strife in the country, the agency said, adding that foreign special services have stepped up efforts to recruit Russian citizens – especially young people – to take part in terrorist activities.
A total of 110 terrorist attacks involving Russian citizens recruited by “the enemy” have been prevented, the NAC said, adding that more than 1,050 people have been detained for preparing and committing terrorist crimes, or justifying, financing, or propagating terrorism.
The agency warned that the threat posed by international terrorist organizations, many of which profess radical versions of Islam, continues to loom over Russia, noting that law enforcement agencies have disrupted the activities of as many as 45 clandestine terrorist cells this year alone.
The NAC statement comes after Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova claimed last week that the Ukrainian government had essentially become a terrorist organization acting on behalf of Western nations as it conducted attacks on peaceful people in Kursk Region.
She also claimed that Kiev is “spreading… terrorism across the planet,” referring to the move by Ukrainian officials to initially claim credit for helping Tuareg militants in Mali stage an ambush on Russian military contractors. Kiev’s intelligence services later denied any involvement after facing backlash from Mali and neighboring Niger.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that one of the goals of Kiev’s attack on Kursk Region was to undermine the morale of the population, but that it failed to do so. On the contrary, he added, the attack has led to a surge in recruiting.