Russia’s FSB Says It Seized Explosive-Laden Drone Goggles Intended for Troops

Dragon Media News Desk

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said it had seized a shipment of FPV drone goggles allegedly rigged with explosives and presented as humanitarian aid for Russian troops in the conflict zone.

According to the FSB, a serviceman in the Volgograd Region brought two pairs of goggles he had received from a volunteer to the agency for inspection. Explosives specialists determined that improvised explosive devices had been placed inside the goggles in place of cooling components, the agency said.

The FSB said the devices were designed to detonate when the goggles were switched on, potentially killing servicemen. It also said similar devices disguised as goggles and sent through the Russian postal service had been seized in several parts of the country.

The agency alleged that Ukrainian special services had posed as patriotic volunteers and used anonymous accounts to contact representatives of Russian humanitarian organisations and charities. They allegedly arranged deliveries of the goggles to units of the Russian Defence Ministry while withholding their identities and personal details.

The FSB said the contacts also requested video messages of thanks from Russian fighters. According to the agency, volunteers were expected to pass the booby-trapped goggles on to drone operators involved in combat operations.

The FSB’s investigative department in the Volgograd Region has opened a criminal case. Efforts to identify those responsible for the shipment are under way.

The agency urged volunteer organisations to accept aid only from reliable sources and inspect packages for explosives. It warned that improvised devices could be concealed in a range of everyday objects.