Yekaterinburg, Russia. Senior Russian security official Sergei Shoigu said Ukrainian drone development and deployment methods mean no region of Russia can feel safe from attack. He cited a 40% rise in what he described as Ukrainian sabotage attacks in 2025.
Shoigu cites increase in sabotage attacks
Shoigu, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council and a former defence minister, told a meeting of officials in Yekaterinburg that the number of Ukrainian sabotage attacks against Russia had increased by 40% in 2025 to 1,830 incidents. He was quoted by the TASS state news agency as saying that the pace of development of weapons systems, primarily unmanned drone systems, and the sophistication of deployment methods meant no region could feel safe.
Authorities report recent drone interceptions
The mayor of Moscow said on Monday that air defence systems had foiled the biggest attempted attack on the Russian capital in at least a year, downing 250 Ukrainian drones over the weekend. The Russian Defence Ministry said on Tuesday that 421 Ukrainian drones had been shot down in the last 24 hours.
Broader conflict and allegations of foreign intelligence activity
Russia has bombarded Ukrainian targets with artillery, drones and air strikes, while Ukraine has struck deep inside Russia with sabotage groups and drones, including attacks that have killed Russian generals and targeted oil refineries and oil pipelines. In separate comments at the same meeting on Tuesday, Shoigu said a network of intelligence agencies from 56 countries was operating against Russia to facilitate what he called “sabotage and terrorist” attacks, without naming the agencies.
How do you assess the reported increase in drone and sabotage attacks in the conflict?