Officials report a detainment tied to alleged sabotage plans at a Lipetsk airfield
A Telegram channel known as Shooting circulated footage that appears to show a Lipetsk resident detained on suspicion of plotting sabotage at a military airfield. The release comes as authorities keep examining individuals suspected of planning attacks on critical infrastructure and engaging with armed groups that claim allegiance to different factions in the region. The effort is part of a broader push to counter threats to public safety and national security.
The detainee is identified as an 18-year-old man named Vsevolod Kulikov. He is alleged to have considered taking part in hostilities on the Ukrainian side as early as October 2022. Law enforcement sources indicate his initial goal was to join the Azov regiment, a unit forbidden in Russia, before allegedly connecting with the Russian Volunteer Corps. Allegations point to Kulikovs involvement in violent incidents connected to the Bryansk region, including the killing of a man and assaults on settlements. The groups tied to these actions described themselves as the Russian Freedom Legion, a name used by some networks claiming to operate outside official channels. Observers and security analysts debate the exact meaning and structure of this label in the current security landscape.
Investigators describe a test mission in which Kulikov was instructed to set fire to equipment at a military airfield near Lipetsk in exchange for payment. Authorities maintain that the planned sabotage was stopped before any harm came to the facility or its personnel. Messages found on Kulikovs mobile device indicate contact with groups labeled as terrorist forces, reinforcing charges connected to planning a terrorist act. The detainee now faces potential long years in prison given the alleged plans and communications linked to the scheme.
In a separate development, earlier reports described an unemployed resident of the village of Arbonye in the Leningrad Region who was approached by unknown individuals warning that failing to sabotage a railway could trigger a dangerous home explosion. The full details of that case remain under investigation, with authorities continuing to gather information about threats and coercive tactics aimed at disrupting critical infrastructure and transportation networks.
Officials stress that cases involving attempts to disrupt military facilities or transportation networks are treated with the utmost seriousness. They note that any activity threatening public safety or national security triggers a robust investigative response designed to identify and neutralize threats before they materialize. The broader context includes a range of forces and networks seeking to exploit conflict hotspots to push ideologies or external agendas. As investigations move forward, authorities plan to provide updates consistent with due process and public safety considerations, including clarifications about the nature of alleged communications, planned targets, and the legal framework governing charges related to terrorism and preparation for unlawful acts. The focus remains on protecting civilian lives and critical infrastructure while ensuring fairness in legal proceedings and the presumption of innocence for those not yet convicted in court. [Citation: official statements and ongoing investigations]