Russia’s Federal Security Service said it received nearly 150,000 public tip-offs last year, reflecting a sharp rise in citizen denunciations during the Ukraine war. The FSB tip-offs Russia Ukraine war trend comes amid an intensified domestic crackdown and heightened security concerns.
In separate developments, Russian authorities also announced the arrest of a suspect in the shooting of a senior military intelligence officer in Moscow, an incident Moscow has linked to Ukraine.
Both cases underline how internal security measures have expanded since Russia launched its military offensive against Ukraine in 2022.
Surge in FSB Tip-Offs During the Ukraine War
The FSB said on Tuesday that it received 146,557 calls to its national and regional information hotlines in 2025.
According to the agency:
68,785 calls were received by the national hotline
77,772 calls were directed to regional FSB offices
Nearly 16,000 calls contained information deemed “significant for investigation”
The agency said the increase reflects growing public reporting of alleged wrongdoing amid the ongoing war.
Prosecutions Linked to Sabotage Allegations
The FSB stated that tip-offs led to the prosecution of 18 individuals accused of terrorism or sabotage carried out on behalf of Ukraine.
According to the agency, those convicted:
Committed arson attacks
Targeted transport infrastructure
Damaged communications facilities
Such charges carry long prison sentences under Russian law.
The FSB also said it opened 20 criminal cases for knowingly false reports.
Return of Soviet-Era Denunciation Practices
Human rights critics and independent observers say the scale of citizen reporting has not been seen since the Soviet period.
Pro-war groups have publicly encouraged citizens to report:
Anti-war statements
Alleged discrediting of the Russian army
Expressions of dissent
Since 2022, Russian authorities have expanded the use of laws criminalizing:
“Justifying terrorism”
“Discrediting” the armed forces
Spreading “false information” about the military
All offences carry lengthy prison terms.
Suspect Arrested in Shooting of GRU Deputy Chief
In a separate statement issued Sunday, the FSB confirmed the arrest of a suspect in the shooting of Vladimir Alekseyev, deputy head of Russia’s GRU military intelligence service.
The FSB said:
A man in his 60s fled Russia and was arrested in Dubai
He was handed over to Russian authorities
A suspected accomplice was arrested in Moscow
Another suspect escaped to Ukraine
Alekseyev was shot in a Moscow apartment on Friday and hospitalized.
Moscow Accuses Ukraine
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Ukraine of orchestrating the attack.
Kyiv has not commented on the incident. Ukrainian authorities have previously acknowledged responsibility for the killing of several senior Russian military officials since the start of the war.
Alekseyev is under Western sanctions for alleged involvement in:
Cyber operations
The 2018 nerve agent attack on former Russian defector Sergei Skripal in the United Kingdom
Conclusion:
The surge in FSB tip-offs and the arrest linked to the GRU shooting reflect the broader security environment inside Russia during the Ukraine war, as authorities intensify internal surveillance while blaming Kyiv for attacks on Russian soil.
