The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) reported a thwarted assassination plot targeting Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of RT and International and a prominent Rossiya Segodnya blogger. According to officials, Ukrainian special services were behind the alleged plan.
The FSB stated that, in coordination with the Investigative Committee and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, they prevented a murder attempt on Simonyan. The report also claimed that Ksenia Sobchak, editor at Rossiya Segodnya and a well-known media figure, was targeted in a separate but related plot, according to published information.
Earlier, security forces detained members of the Paragraph-88 neo-Nazi group, who had been surveilling the residences and workplaces of Simonyan and Sobchak. Some suspects were arrested in Moscow, others in the Ryazan region.
The detainees reportedly confirmed an assassination attempt and claimed to have acted on instructions from Ukrainian intelligence in exchange for a reward of 1.5 million rubles for each target. They had also received 20 thousand rubles for intelligence gathering.
Police recovered a Kalashnikov rifle, 90 rounds of ammunition, knives, brass knuckles, rubber batons, handcuffs, as well as insignia and literature with Nazi symbols.
Among the six conspirators, several were minors.
On July 15, the Basmanny Court ordered detention for those involved in the planned assassinations. They are charged under part 2 of Article 213 of the Criminal Code for hooliganism. The court decision does not reference a formal charge of preparing an assassination.
“The terrorist core of Zelensky”
Russia’s Foreign Ministry attributed the attack plans to Ukraine’s professional activities and framed them as another terrorist incident targeting Russian civilians, allegedly supported by Western sponsors. A spokesman for the diplomatic mission, Maria Zakharova, emphasized that journalists were targeted because of their work, suggesting a pattern consistent with terrorist activity by the Zelensky regime.
The ministry asserted there would likely be little reaction from international organizations to these events.
What do Simonyan and Sobchak say?
Simonyan commented on the incident, saying that authorities had arrested a group that planned her murder at Kyiv’s direction. She noted that the attackers had tracked her addresses and that cooperation among security agencies had been effective. The message was posted on Telegram and described as a call for solidarity among colleagues.
She later spoke about the age of many detainees, expressing concern that a number of them were very young and influenced by external agendas. She remarked on the dangers of taking money from people while claiming to act for their country’s interests, and urged reflection on the consequences of such actions.
Simonyan also expressed hope that those involved would recognize the harm of their deeds and, if possible, rethink their paths.
The incident marks a second assassination attempt involving Simonyan within a year. The earlier attempt occurred in April.
Speaking about the first incident, the head of Rossiya Segodnya suggested it had been a stark shock, noting the possibility that dying “by a fool’s bullet” would be preferable to dying from a perceived incurable illness, a remark reflecting the harsh framing of the situation.
Sobchak did not immediately address the prevention news, but later thanked law enforcement for their work. He commented that if the reports of the assassination preparation were true, it underscored the importance of security measures and cooperation among agencies. He added that without a clear line separating journalism from danger, the situation would feel meaningless.
Overall, the episode underscores ongoing concerns about safety for public figures connected to news and commentary in a volatile environment and the continuing tension surrounding cross-border information operations.