Russia’s FSB Accuses Ukraine-Born Rapper in Alleged Drone Plot

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has accused Ukraine-born rapper Kyivstoner, real name Albert Vasilyev, of helping organize an alleged unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attack targeting a strategic defense enterprise in the Moscow region.

According to The Moscow Times, the FSB on Tuesday claimed it had thwarted what it described as a large-scale sabotage and terrorist operation allegedly planned by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU).

The agency said the intended target was a facility located in a residential area of the Moscow region. The operation was said to involve 35 first-person-view (FPV) drones smuggled into Russia from abroad.

Russian authorities said the drones were assembled in Kyiv and equipped with Canadian-made control systems before being concealed inside a shipment of Spanish ceramic tiles.

The cargo allegedly traveled through Slovakia, Poland, and Belarus before entering Russia.

According to Russian officials, the warehouse had been rented by a Russian citizen who was allegedly recruited by Ukrainian intelligence in exchange for payment, but was later killed during an attempted arrest.

The FSB further claimed that two Moldovan citizens, Viktor Pirlog, born in 1986, and Kalos Aurel, born in 1995, helped prepare the warehouse for the launch of the drones before leaving Russia.

According to the agency, the operation’s alleged executor was a Russian citizen and former member of an ethnic organized criminal group who had previously served a prison sentence.

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The FSB said the man later joined Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, received amnesty after military service, and obtained Russian citizenship in 2023.

The suspect allegedly assembled and activated the UAVs, established communications with operators located abroad, and then left the site to await extraction.

The FSB claimed the drones were launched but were destroyed by Russian special forces accompanying the operation.

Kyivstoner denies allegations

The FSB identified Vasilyev, a Ukrainian-born blogger, rapper, and actor, as one of the alleged organizers of the plot, claiming he coordinated accomplices under the supervision of the SBU.

The agency also accused him of involvement in cocaine trafficking. However, Kyivstoner rejected all allegations.

“I’m chilling and playing Dota. What organizing are you talking about?” he said in a series of Instagram posts, referring to the video game Dota popular among gamers in Eastern Europe.

Russian authorities have opened a criminal case under Article 205 of the Russian Criminal Code, which covers terrorism-related offenses, but have not provided public evidence supporting their allegations against the rapper.

Ukrainian authorities have not commented on the case.