Key takeaways:
- The FSB says information from U.S. law enforcement led to the detention of a Russian minor.
- The U.S. Embassy warned Saturday of a credible mass-casualty threat at the Tsaritsyno Museum Reserve, which was temporarily closed.
- The FSB says the suspect posted photos in tactical clothing and had searched for information about attacks and mass killings.
Russian authorities have detained a teenager suspected of planning an attack at a Moscow park after receiving a warning from the United States, Russia’s Federal Security Service said Sunday. The U.S. Embassy had warned of a “credible threat of a mass casualty event” at the Tsaritsyno Museum Reserve, a palace museum and park complex in southern Moscow.
The Federal Security Service, or FSB, said it received information from U.S. law enforcement through established channels and verified it before detaining the Russian minor, according to Russia’s TASS state news agency. “We are grateful to the American side for providing the information,” the FSB said in a statement reported by Interfax, according to Al Jazeera.
The U.S. Embassy issued its security alert on Saturday, urged people to avoid Tsaritsyno and said the U.S. government was coordinating with Russian authorities. The park was temporarily closed that day and access was restricted, Russia’s RIA news agency reported, citing law enforcement agencies.
According to NBC News, Russian tabloid Baza reported that people at the venue were evacuated near the end of an organ concert, which stopped with about 10 minutes remaining. Baza said a separate concert devoted to the folk traditions of the North Caucasus region was canceled.
The FSB said the teenager had posted photos on TikTok wearing tactical clothing, including a balaclava, and holding an object that appeared to be an automatic weapon. Al Jazeera, citing Interfax, reported that the unidentified suspect also shared photos taken at Tsaritsyno with the caption, “I found a place.”
A search of the teenager’s home found the clothing and accessories shown in the photos, the FSB said, according to Al Jazeera’s account of the Interfax report. The security service also said a search of the suspect’s devices found queries about terrorist attacks, mass shootings and other violence, along with a subscription to a neo-Nazi channel on Telegram.
Russia’s Investigative Committee is considering what legal action to take against the teenager, the FSB said, according to Al Jazeera. The reports did not identify the suspect.
The United States has warned Russia about a threat in Moscow before. In March 2024, the U.S. Embassy warned that extremists had plans for an attack. Gunmen subsequently attacked the Crocus City Hall concert venue outside Moscow, killing more than 140 people.
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