russia secret service raid
© Anna Ledovskikh/YouTubeRussian secret services have detained 'terrorists' trained in sabotage who sought to engineer the crash of two express trains with a combined speed of 186 mph.
Russian police have detained 'terrorists' who planned to crash two express trains together and drive a truck packed with explosives into a celebration attended by Vladimir Putin.

They were aiming to disrupt the Confederations Cup tournament last month, a precursor to the FIFA World Cup hosted by the Russian President next year, it is believed.

Police say an alleged jihadist cell tried to target a high speed rail line used by Russia's Sapsan 'bullet' trains at Farforovskaya railway station close to St Petersburg, Putin's home city. But the plot was foiled and police have released video of arrests being made (See here.)

When the bid failed to cause a high speed rail horror, potentially killing and wounding hundreds of people, they switched tack and aimed to drive a truck loaded with explosives into a crowd, say FSB sources. One of the suspects is pictured handcuffed on the ground.
Jhadi Russia suspect
© Anna Ledovskikh/YouTube
An attack was pencilled for July 30 in St Petersburg, when Putin was leading celebrations of the annual Russian Navy Day commemoration, but was thwarted, it is claimed.

Footage recently released by the FSB - the Federal Security Service once headed by Putin - shows how armed agents detained seven suspects, reported to be from central Asia, on July 27.

The detainees - some 'trained in sabotage techniques' - were shown lying handcuffed on the ground during a dramatic FSB night time raid of a car repair shop with living premises in St Petersburg.

Their names and nationalities have not been disclosed pending further investigations.

In mid-July, members tried to sabotage a high speed rail line used by Russia's Sapsan 'bullet' trains at Farforovskaya railway station close to St Petersburg, Putin's home city, according to FSB sources.

'Having hit the obstacle, one SapSan express train was supposed to jump up and hit the second train running in the opposite direction,' stated Komsomolskaya Pravda.
Russia jihadi date book
© Anna Ledovskikh/YouTube
It is understood explosives were found during searches of premises linked to the alleged cell. An attack was penciled for July 30 in St Petersburg, when Putin was leading celebrations of the annual Russian Navy Day commemoration, but was thwarted, it is claimed
Russia jihadi plot explosives
© Anna Ledovskikh/YouTube
Footage recently released by the FSB - the Federal Security Service once headed by Putin - shows how armed agents detained seven suspects, reported to be from central Asia, on July 27

The detainees - some 'trained in sabotage techniques' - were shown lying handcuffed on the ground during a dramatic FSB night time raid of a car repair shop with living premises in St Petersburg

'The joint speed would have been about 300 km per hour, with hardly any chance to avoid a tragedy. But they did a bad job.

'As a result, Sapsan train just smashed the obstacle and passengers did not even feel anything.'

The so-called bullet trains - permitted to travel at up to 250 kph (155 mph) - are widely used by foreign tourists between Moscow and St Petersburg.

At the time, Russian Railways employees were ordered to sign papers demanding they stay silent about the case, although later details emerged.

Soon after the rail sabotage bid, the alleged terrorists were traced, it is reported. Monitored by the FSB, they were eavesdropped planning a strike using a KamAZ truck on a crowd of people

'Surveillance was working day and night. But as soon as they heard talks about some KamAZ and about their plans to attack something on it, it was decided to detain them,' said a source.

'Things were found that did not belong to them,' said a source, declining to elaborate.

Putin was in St Petersburg on April 3 when a suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowded metro train, killing 16 and injuring 64.

On November 27 2009 the Nevsky Express train crashed en route from Moscow to St Petersburg killing 28 people in a terror attack.