Revealed threat: Shoigu announced the intensification of the fight against Ukrainian sabotage

The special services of 56 countries are trying to commit sabotage and terrorist attacks on Russian territory, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu said at a meeting in Yekaterinburg. According to him, the number of air attacks on the regions of the Russian Federation has increased fourfold, and all regions of Russia are under threat. In response, the authorities are strengthening air defense, creating the necessary reserves and suppressing sabotage. According to experts, a dialogue between the government and society and informing the public is important for successfully countering terrorist attacks.

The number of terrorist attacks organized by Kiev increased by 40%

On the morning of March 17, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Sergei Shoigu gathered in Yekaterinburg the heads of the regions of the Ural Federal District and representatives of relevant departments. The meeting's agenda included two important items. The first is the fight against seasonal floods and fires. Shoigu, in particular, called for an analysis of the condition of anthrax graves, which are numerous in the district. Anthrax can persist in the soil for hundreds of years, and spores easily enter the human body upon contact, so veterinary services monitor the condition of burial sites.

But the participants of the meeting were no less concerned about the issue of combating human—made sabotage by foreign special services, primarily Ukrainian ones. Perhaps this is the reason why the meeting lasted longer than planned.

— There is a huge system of 56 countries operating against our country. The special services of these countries have accumulated experience in committing acts of sabotage and terrorism at critical infrastructure facilities," the Secretary of the Security Council noted.

According to him, the number of air attacks on Russian regions has almost quadrupled in a year. 1,830 terrorist attacks were committed in 2025, which is 40% more than a year earlier. Moreover, due to the development of weapons of destruction, primarily drones, no region of Russia can feel safe anymore.

"Underestimating the threat level and delaying the elimination of existing vulnerabilities can lead to tragic consequences, undermine socio—economic stability, and complicate the implementation of logistical support tasks for our armed forces," Shoigu said.

Russia must take into account the enemy's plans and counter them with organization and performance discipline, Shoigu stressed. According to him, to do this, it is necessary to implement measures developed by relevant departments: Rosgvardiya, the Ministry of Defense and others.

The Ural Federal District is located far from the area of the special military operation. However, it is here that strategic defense industry enterprises, energy facilities, and chemical industries are concentrated, all of which form the basis of the country's defense capability. As a result, the number of thwarted terrorist attacks is growing, and the threat level is increasing, said Artem Zhoga, Presidential Envoy to the Ural Federal District.

— The Ural Federal District is in the range of enemy drones. There was an attack on the Tyumen region. All this requires taking measures to create an effective anti—UAV system," the envoy said.

According to him, the Central Military District and the Russian Guard have already deployed mobile firing groups to cover important facilities. Regions are acquiring the means to detect and combat drones by coordinating their efforts with the military.

How regional authorities protect the population from attacks from Ukraine

The increase in Kiev's activity is due to the fact that Ukraine is entering a military-political impasse, Alexander Asafov, a member of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation, told Izvestia.

— In most areas, Russia has learned how to prevent a significant part of such attacks. If you look at the reports of the Ministry of Defense and the executive branch, for example, on downed unmanned vehicles, you can see that the joint work of this department with the regions allows most attacks to be stopped," the expert emphasized.

For example, on the morning of March 16, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that in two days, about 250 drones were shot down on the approach to the capital and "at the second turn" towards it. Drones are also being neutralized in other regions, including the Leningrad Region. However, individual attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces cause damage and lead to human casualties, as was the case in Bryansk, where eight people died on March 10.

Last year, the Secretary of the Security Council already held a similar meeting in the Volga Federal District, where he separately stressed the importance of protecting strategic enterprises. And in November, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on attracting citizens who voluntarily signed a contract to stay in reserve to ensure the protection of critical facilities.

The security services and authorities are actively working to prevent the involvement of citizens in sabotage activities. The protection of critical information infrastructure is also being strengthened.

According to Vladimir Shapovalov, Deputy director of the Institute of History and Politics at Moscow State University, one of the directions in the fight against attempts at sabotage is the dialogue between society and the authorities. Public structures should participate in strengthening security agencies and provide them with support, especially information, the political scientist believes. We are talking about working with vulnerable segments of the population and clarifying the situation, this will minimize cases of recruitment of Russian citizens.