On July 14, Russia’s FSB said it had prevented what it described as a major act of sabotage linked to Ukraine. According to the agency, 35 drones were smuggled into the Moscow region for a planned strike on a “strategic enterprise.”
The FSB said the drones were allegedly transported from Bratislava via Poland and Brest, concealed as ceramic tiles. The agency also claimed the devices were stored in a hangar and prepared for the alleged attack by a detained Russian citizen described as a former member of an ethnic organized crime group.
The FSB named Ukrainian rapper Albert Vasiliev, known as Kyivstoner, as the organizer of the alleged operation. The report noted that he is a former member of the group Griby and has lived in Slovakia in recent years. The agency also alleged that the musician was involved in cocaine sales.
According to the FSB’s version, Ukraine’s SBU, with support from European intelligence services, brought the drones into the Moscow region for a strike on a strategic facility, with Kyivstoner as the organizer.
Vasiliev rejected the accusations and responded in highly emotional terms. He said he did not understand why he had been made the subject of such claims and insisted he was not involved in anything of the sort.
In paraphrased remarks, the artist expressed bewilderment at the allegations, denied the cocaine dealing claim, and said such statements were unacceptable to him.
At this point, two conflicting public accounts have been presented: the FSB’s statement about a thwarted sabotage plot and Kyivstoner’s sharp denial.