The FSB of the Russian Federation has eliminated a top Ukrainian intelligence official, as covert warfare in Crimea continues.
The Federal Security Service (FSB) of the Russian Federation confirmed that Colonel Rustem Fahriyev, an officer from Ukraine's Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), who was involved in planning terrorist attacks in Crimea, has been successfully killed. He had long been active within Crimea's intelligence circles and was one of the central figures in Ukraine’s intelligence operations targeting Russian military facilities through sabotage and bombings.
Fahriyev recently orchestrated a major assassination attempt that was thwarted by Russian authorities. His original plan was to assassinate a high-ranking Russian Defense Ministry officer responsible for critical military command, along with his family, on December 1, 2025. During this operation, a Ukrainian agent tasked with transporting the explosive device was killed on-site by Russian special forces, while several accomplices were arrested during a raid on an apartment building.
This failed assassination attempt reveals an escalation in the operational tactics employed by Ukraine’s intelligence services. According to Russian investigations, Fahriyev’s activities were directly supported by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which provided data and technical assistance. The Ukrainian operatives were equipped with specialized tools integrated into NATO intelligence systems and small high-explosive devices supplied by Western countries, combined with remote control and long-range triggering technologies, greatly enhancing their operational capabilities.
In addition to his military intelligence work, Fahriyev also had a strong nationalist political background. He participated in the 2014 blockade of the Crimean Council of Ministers building and was a member of the "Crimean Tatar National Congress."
Fahriyev’s elimination marks Crimea as the main battleground in the intense intelligence confrontation between Russia and Ukraine.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1869242730711049/
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