Executive Summary
In April 2025, the Russian Federation witnessed several counter-terrorism operations across multiple federal subjects, notably within the North Caucasus, Volga Region, and Central Russia.
A coordinated response from the FSB, Investigative Committee, and regional police agencies neutralised a range of threats, encompassing attacks on law enforcement, vital infrastructure, public gatherings, and the propagation of terrorist propaganda.
This report briefly describes the recent terrorist threats in Russia and underlines that international jihadist networks, aided by online propaganda and transnational collaboration, still create a persistent and multifaceted terrorist threat.
Key Incidents
- Foiled Attack in Derbent, Republic of Dagestan (24 April). Local forces arrested four suspected terrorists planning a bombing and armed attack on a local police station. Police neutralised one suspect during armed resistance. The authorities confiscated components for improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Charges include participation in a terrorist community and preparation of terrorist acts.
- Sabotage Plot in Nizhny Novgorod Region (24 April). FSB operatives neutralised two Central Asian citizens intending to attack a petrochemical facility using FPV drones equipped with foreign-manufactured explosives. Russian official sources reported the perpetrators were acting under the direction of a Ukrainian coordinator. The seizure included drones, weapons, and encrypted communications, suggesting a sophisticated support network.
- A Woman Linked to Hizb ut-Tahrir Arrested in Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan (18 April). FSB operatives from Tatarstan arrested a woman linked to the organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir. Local authorities accused the woman of promoting terrorist ideology and recruiting individuals. She reportedly disseminated banned literature and organised clandestine meetings.
- Thwarted Attack in Pyatigorsk, Stavropol Krai (16 April). Local authorities arrested a Central Asian citizen, associated with the Islamic State, who was preparing an explosive attack in the city. After the attack, the perpetrator planned to escape to Syria and participate in local military operations.
- Arrests in Derbent and St Petersburg for Terrorist Endorsement (11 April and 9 April). Russian authorities arrested two men for online activities involving the glorification of terrorist entities, Imarat Kavkaz and the Islamic State, through messaging platforms. Their content included explicit incitements and tactical discussions aimed at undermining state institutions.
- Police Fatalities in Ingushetia Linked to the Islamic State (10 April). Local special forces arrested to two suspects linked to the Islamic State fighters who conducted a fatal attack on a traffic checkpoint in Ingushetia, causing the death of a police officer. Charges include knowledge of and material support for terrorist activity. Their involvement in planned financial facilitation further illustrates the embedded support structures sustaining violent extremism in the region.
- Nationwide Radicalisation Concerns and Institutional Response (8 April). FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov convened a National Anti-Terrorism Committee session addressing youth radicalisation. In early 2025, authorities prevented 47 terrorism-related crimes, many involving adolescents influenced by extremist ideologies. Over the past three years, authorities have taken over 2,500 individuals into custody.
Risk Assessment
Terrorism has always been a challenge for the Russian Federation. Since the ‘90s, Moscow has faced local militants and international organisations promoting their propaganda and organising violent attacks against military personnel, civilians, and official representatives.
Recent events and arrests in Russia have underlined that the country is still not immune to the terrorist threat, although the central and local authorities have invested a significant amount of money and military personnel to counter this threat.
Despite a significant decrease in jihadist and militant activity, April 2025 data reveal the North Caucasus remains a centre for terrorist and propaganda operations. The Kremlin’s classification of pro-Ukrainian actions as terrorism has complicated data collection on terrorism in Russia since the start of the Ukraine conflict.
A sophisticated hybrid threat is evident in the convergence of domestic and foreign actors, the use of advanced technologies like drone attacks, and the exploitation of digital propaganda. Several trends are discernible:
- Transnational Coordination: The alleged involvement of foreign handlers, particularly from Ukraine and Central Asia, shows external facilitation and recruitment.
- Technological Adaptation: The use of FPV drones and digital communications platforms reflects developing terrorist modus operandi.
- Ideological Penetration: Online radicalisation, particularly targeting youth and minority communities, remains a persistent vector of mobilisation.
- Urban Vulnerability: Cultural, administrative, and energy infrastructure in cities are primary targets, reflecting a strategic shift towards high-impact, symbolic targets.
Last year, Russia suffered significant casualties in attacks on Moscow’s Crocus City Hall (March 2024), Makhachkala and Derbent (June 2024). Although no major terrorist or violent attacks occurred, persistent terrorist threats challenged Russian national and regional security in the first months of this year.
Despite a decrease in successful attacks on critical infrastructure in April 2025, FSB operations targeting Islamic State supporters and sympathisers of groups like Imarat Kavkaz (Caucasus Emirate) and Hizb ut-Tahrir within Russia reveal a concerning network of recruiters and fundraisers that requires immediate government action.
Conclusion
In the short term, the Russian Federation is likely to continue facing a multifaceted terrorist threat, particularly within the volatile North Caucasus and other regions with significant ethnic minority populations, such as the Volga and Central Russia.
Even with increased security efforts, major attacks may still happen because of the ongoing spread of extremist ideas online, particularly among young people. Increasing use of advanced technologies, such as drones, poses new operational challenges, thus linking the immediate risk to them.
In the medium term, Russia’s counter-terrorism and internal security strategies need a change to effectively combat the persistent threat from international jihadist networks, who increasingly leverage technology and digital propaganda. Government agencies must carefully track these groups’ changing methods, particularly their transnational support networks and increasingly advanced recruitment and funding strategies.
In particular, it is essential to track the patterns of ideological mobilisation within vulnerable communities, as well as the involvement of foreign operatives in the region. To reduce the expanding geopolitical risk posed by the growing fusion of domestic radicalisation and external influence within these networks, Russian security agencies require enhanced cooperation with international and regional allies.
*Cover image: FSB officer during a counterterrorism operation (Credits: Russian National Anti-Terrorism Committee)
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