European security services are preparing for a possible wave of suicide bomber attacks, a tactic resembling that of Islamist jihadists. Intelligence suggests that Russian operatives may be testing these methods in Ukraine, signaling a new phase in covert warfare, according to specialists from the Robert Lansing Institute.
Previously, Russian intelligence did not use suicide bombers in Ukraine. However, on February 17, 2025, an explosion in Kamianets-Podilskyi, far from the frontline, killed a courier. According to Ukrainian counterintelligence, a local drug addict found an explosives cache and attempted to deliver it to a military recruitment office. The courier was killed in the blast, and eight people were injured.
Just three days earlier, in Mykolaiv, a suicide bomber, allegedly recruited by Russian operatives, detonated a homemade device. Ukrainian counterintelligence attributed both incidents to Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), which surprised analysts. These types of operations are typically associated with the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), and the involvement of the FSB suggests a new tactical approach: using civilians to carry out attacks.
Western intelligence agencies believe that Moscow may employ suicide bombers outside Ukraine, potentially involving Russian migrants in organizing attacks to destabilize European countries and strengthen far-right political movements that often receive Kremlin support. Additionally, a new unit has been created within Russian intelligence, focused on sabotage, killings, and espionage in Europe and North America. This unit, known as the Special Tasks Department (SSD), operates under military intelligence and coordinates sabotage operations abroad.
If confirmed, the use of suicide bombers could be part of a broader inter-agency strategy within Russia’s security apparatus. However, the FSB’s involvement raises the likelihood that Russian or Ukrainian nationals—many with relatives in Russian-occupied territories—could be coerced into carrying out attacks. The FSB has previously used blackmail tactics to pressure Chechen migrants in Europe into collaboration.
Given these developments, security analysts believe Russia may soon conduct a series of suicide attacks targeting military, energy, and government infrastructure across Europe, with Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Austria, and Poland considered the most likely targets.
