Poisoning attempt or propaganda: FSB announces detention of woman in Sevastopol
29 September 2025 17:37
In the temporarily occupied Sevastopol, Russia’s FSB reported the detention of an employee of a catering establishment. She is suspected of attempting to poison Russian military personnel who visited the establishment. This was reported by the Telegram channel ASTRA, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
The woman is charged with “high treason”. According to the FSB, she allegedly established contact with representatives of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine two years ago and passed them information about the movements of Russian troops.
The version of the Russian special services
In addition to gathering intelligence, the detainee, according to the FSB, “was preparing to poison Russian military personnel.” The Russian side has not publicly provided any evidence of these intentions.
The message was spread by Russian state media and Telegram channels close to the security forces.
What is known
This is not the first case of allegations of “sabotage” in catering establishments in the occupied Crimea. In August, information appeared in Simferopol about the alleged mass poisoning of Russian military personnel: propaganda resources reported the deaths of 24 people, but there was no official confirmation of this.
Earlier, Russian law enforcement agencies also reported on the detention of Crimeans on charges of collaboration with Ukrainian intelligence. Human rights activists point out that such cases are often accompanied by pressure and lack of access to independent lawyers.
Why this is important
- Information warfare: Similar messages from the FSB regularly appear before or after high-profile events at the frontline or in Crimea, creating an image of an “internal threat.”
- A signal to local residents: Through high-profile cases, Russian special services seek to intimidate the population of the occupied territories and suppress any manifestations of disloyalty.
- International dimension: The imprisonment of civilians under the article “high treason” in Crimea is regularly criticized by international human rights organizations.
