Terrorism & insurgency incidents

The security services reported on the detention of four people accused of involvement of attacks, led by Shamil Basayev and Emir Khattab, on Russian military personnel in 1999 and 2000. The arrests took place across four republics, but no more precise incident location information was provided.

The four detainees were identified as Arsen Koldasov (Stavropol Kray), Batyr Arsanov (Ingushetia), Radzhab Khasayev (Dagestan), and Rasul Takhtamirov (Astrakhan Oblast).

Security services detained one man suspected of involvement in the 1999 invasion of Dagestan led by Shamil Basayev and Emir Khattab.

Kaytagskiy Rayon

A group of people attacked security services in Makhachkala using assault rifles during a document check. Three members of the security services and two attackers were killed. Accounts of the number of attackers varied, but some attackers appeared to have escaped; one was detained. Later sources also seemed to settle on five wounded. The authorities classified the event as a terrorist attack.

Makhachkala

Intersection of Ulitsa Magomedtagirova and Ulitsa Kerimova

4

The attackers took advantage of a road traffic accident and at least one escaped in a police car. The two men killed were identified as Batal Magomedovich Magomedov and Akhmed Shamilovich Alimagomedov, both born in 2000.

The FSB and MVD detained a 29-year-old female supporter of an international terrorist organisation on charges of planning a terrorist attack on a law enforcement building in Khasavyurt. She reportedly coordinated her plans via Telegram.

Khasavyurt

IED components seized

Security services detained Khasavyurt imam Yakhya Magomedov and his son on unknown grounds. Both were subsequently released.

Khasavyurt

The security services claimed that a driver had refused to stop, attacked them, and opened fire. The driver was killed, one member of the security services injured. Four other people, accused of preparing an attack on the security services in Derbent, were detained.

Derbent

Ulitsa Makachkalinskaya

The attacker was identified as 21-year-old Amir Mamedov. Most reports were not clear whether the four were detained at the same time, but Kommersant reported that the five people were part of the same group and Mamedov died during the arrest.

The security services imposed a KTO on Semender, Makhachala, as part of a search for insurgents.

Semender

Security services killed four suspected insurgents during a special operation in Semender, Makhachkala. They were accused of planning an attack in Kaspiysk. The security services reported on the seizure of grenade launchers, grenades, automatic weapons, a pistol, and cartridges.

Semender

See 🖊️A Dagestani counterterrorism op illustrates the challenges of researching violence in the North Caucasus

A man was detained as an accomplice to the four people killed in a special operation on 5 March. It is not clear when and where he was detained; the presumption is that it took place within the context of the operation, but it was not reported until several days later.

Semender

Police stopped a car to check the driver’s ID. The 31-year-old man opened fire on police in response, before being wounded and detained.

Khuchni

1

Three unknown people attacked a police officer in the Dagestani city of Derbent, seizing his firearm and then shooting at him. One police officer was seriously wounded and the attackers were detained.

Derbent

3

Several drones attacked facilities in Kaspiysk, but did not cause casualties

Kaspiysk

The security services reported on the discovery of three caches containing weapons in December 2024 and January 2025. No further details of when and where the incidents occurred were published

Across the three incidents, more than 3,000 Kalashnikov cartridges, five grenades, two firearms, and more than 20 weapons parts were seized.

The security services reported on the discovery of three caches containing weapons in December 2024 and January 2025. No further details of when and where the incidents occurred were published

Across the three incidents, more than 3,000 Kalashnikov cartridges, five grenades, two firearms, and more than 20 weapons parts were seized.

The security services reported on the discovery of three caches containing weapons in December 2024 and January 2025. No further details of when and where the incidents occurred were published

Across the three incidents, more than 3,000 Kalashnikov cartridges, five grenades, two firearms, and more than 20 weapons parts were seized.

Security services detained five people on suspicion of organising a terrorist community and planning attacks. The leader of the group was Yalimkhan Aliyev, another member was an imam in Serebryakovka. Kommersant deduced from the court dates that the detentions occurred on 29 November, although details did not become public until multiple reports appeared throughout early December. Subsequent reporting increased the number of detainees to 12. The detentions occurred across multiple locations, including Serebryakovka and Astrakhan.

Serebryakovka

Kizlyarskiy Rayon

43.979902

46.833398

Two IEDs, firearms, ammunition, and 1,000kg of ammonium nitrate seized

A drone was shot down over Kaspiysk. No casualties were reported.

Kaspiysk

Security services detained four people — Agakhan Alibegov, Devlet Ismailov, Alim Guzhayev, and Kamil Selimov — on charges of creating and financing a terrorist group

Derbent

42.057669

48.288776

The Investigative Committee, FSB, Interior Ministry and Rosgvardia detained three men — Adam Magamadov, Samail Batayev, and Rustam Chagilov — on suspicion of belonging to a group led by Shamil Basayev and Emir Khattab and participating in a 2000 attack in Chechnya. The operation occurred across Volgograd Oblast, Dagestan and Karachayevo-Cherkessia

Pokrovskoye

Khasavyurtovskiy Rayon

43.286743

46.665269

Security services detained three residents of Dagestan in Dagestan and St Petersburg on suspicion of membership of an extremist group. The distribution of arrests across the two sites and the exact location were not clear.

Traffic police attempted to detain three men, who initially escaped but were eventual detained. Two security service personnel received light wounds.

Razdolye

44.195642

46.585912

The Federal Security Services and Interior Ministry claimed they had detained three people planning terrorist attacks.

Kaspiysk

Ulitsa Alferova

42.883184

47.644289

The detainees, all Russian citizens, were reportedly members of an unspecified international terrorist organisation. Improvised explosive devices, components, the flag of the organisation, electronic devices were all seized.

Two Dagestani residents were detained for preparing a terrorist attack. The men reportedly purchased components for improvised explosive devices. The detentions occurred at some point in July, but were only reported in late November.

Kurush

Khasavyurtovskiy Rayon

43.384890

46.756394

Security services detained Sergokalinskiy Rayon Head Magomed Omarov, whose relatives perpetrated the 23 June attacks in Derbent and Makhachkala

Sergokala

42.454281

47.662857

The location of the detention is presumed

Unidentified people opened fire on a police car in Sergokala, wounding one.

Sergokala

42.454281

47.662857

On 23 June 2024, armed men carried out simultaneous attacks in Derbent and Makhachkala, attacking churches, synagogues, and police units.

Makhachkala

Ulitsa Yermoshkina, a synagogue at the same location, and at the Holy Assumption Cathedral on Ulitsa Ordzhonikidze

42.976148

47.510189

For additional sourcing, see the Event in Review article. It is unclear how many were killed and injured across the two attack sites, therefore casualty figures have been equally divided. Discrepancies in casualty figures were partly the result of updated information, but officials also contradicted each other

On 23 June 2024, armed men carried out simultaneous attacks in Derbent and Makhachkala, attacking churches, synagogues, and police units.

Derbent

Protection of Our Most Holy Lady Orthodox Church on Ulitsa Lenina and the Kele-Numaz Synagogue on Ulitsa Tagi-Zade

42.057019

48.291269

For additional sourcing, see the Event in Review article. It is unclear how many were killed and injured across the two attack sites, therefore casualty figures have been equally divided. Discrepancies in casualty figures were partly the result of updated information, but officials also contradicted each other

Counterterrorism operation imposed in response to 23 June attacks in Dagestan

Makhachkala

42.983037

47.504530

Counterterrorism operation imposed in response to 23 June attacks in Dagestan

Derbent

42.057669

48.288776

The FSB and MVD detained Kazbek Anasov, a resident of Khasavyurtovskiy Rayon, on suspicion of participating in the 1995 attack on Budennovsk

Khasavyurtovskiy Rayon

Security services detain a 16-year-old, who then attacks them with a knife before being detained again

Sergokala

42.454281

47.662857

Security services imposed a counterterrorism operation in Kaspiysk and two districts of Makhachkala

Makhachkala

Leninskiy and Sovetskiy Rayons

42.928703

47.552382

Security services imposed a counterterrorism operation in Kaspiysk and two districts of Makhachkala

Kaspiysk

42.890853

47.635665

Security services conducted several simultaneous special operations against suspected insurgents, within the context of a counterterrorism operation in Kaspiysk and two districts of Makhachkala. Three people were detained, but it is unclear how many at each site.

Makhachkala

42.983037

47.504530

Automatic weapons, ammunition, and improvised explosive device seized. Two of the detainees were natives of Tajikistan; the third came from Dagestan. The authorities linked the men to the 22 March 2024 attack on Crocus City Hall in Moscow.

Security services conducted several simultaneous special operations against suspected insurgents, within the context of a counterterrorism operation in Kaspiysk and two districts of Makhachkala. Three people were detained, but it is unclear how many at each site.

Kaspiysk

42.890853

47.635665

Automatic weapons, ammunition, and improvised explosive device seized. Two of the detainees were natives of Tajikistan; the third came from Dagestan. The authorities linked the men to the 22 March 2024 attack on Crocus City Hall in Moscow.

Police detained a man, Dagestani native Islam Batsiyev, on suspicion of participating in the 29 February 2000 attack on Pskov paratroopers in Chechnya. The Dagestani branch of the FSB were involved in the detention

Bayramaul

43.296251

46.727576

An unknown person shot MMA fighter Magomedrasul Mutayev in Makhachkala. The Dagestani Interior Ministry identified the suspected attacker as Nadyrkhan Kadirkhanov, an 18-year-old from Kumtorkalinskiy Rayon.

Makhachkala

42.983037

47.504530

The FSB reported on the detention of a man accused of arson attacks on communication facilities in Dagestan in November and December 2023. Where the detention occurred is unclear

An IED exploded at the site of the North Caucasus police college. No one was injured, but some property was damaged.

Nazran

North Caucasus police college, Ulitsa Mutaliyeva

The security services carried out a search of property belonging to the Estamirov clan, connected to the Batalkhadzhintsy, on suspicion of financing a terrorist organisation and links to the Crocus City Hall attack. The exact location was unclear.

The security services reported on the detention of four people accused of involvement of attacks, led by Shamil Basayev and Emir Khattab, on Russian military personnel in 1999 and 2000. The arrests took place across four republic, but no more precise incident location information was provided.

The four detainees were identified as Arsen Koldasov (Stavropol Kray), Batyr Arsanov (Ingushetia), Radzhab Khasayev (Dagestan), and Rasul Takhtamirov (Astrakhan Oblast).

An unknown person opened fire on a man, who later died in hospital. The attacker escaped. The motives for the attack were not known, but it may have been a personal dispute.

Ekazhevo

Nazranovskiy Rayon

1

The security services detained two imams, Mukhammad Tamaskhanov from a mosque in Nazran and Magomed (Mukhammad) Sultygov from a mosque in Karabulak. The men were detained for an alleged failure to report the activities of an IS cell to the authorities.

Karabulak

The security services detained two imams, Mukhammad Tamaskhanov from a mosque in Nazran and Magomed (Mukhammad) Sultygov from a mosque in Karabulak. The men were detained for an alleged failure to report the activities of insurgents to the authorities. Both were subsequently released.

Nazran

Security services detained a 55-year-old resident of Magas who had been extradited from Egypt. They accused him of aiding members of an unspecified international terrorist organisation.

The security services detained a resident of Ingushetia for helping those who attacked security services to escape.

The security services discovered a cache containing firearms and explosive devices, belonging to insurgents planning an attack on a church in Sunzha.

Sunzha

The security services detained a 57-year-old man in Magas on suspicion of aiding members of the Islamic State.

Magas

An unknown person opened fire on a vehicle carrying a 61-year-old former traffic policeman, wounding him.

Sunzha

Karabulak-Pliyevo road

Security services detained two men, 25-year-old Azamat Gandaloyev and 29-year-old Zurab Daurbekov, for alleged membership of Islamic State.

Unknown people carried out an attack on Ilez Nalgiyev, the former head of the Karabulak police. Nalgiyev was wounded but survived when the attacker’s weapon misfired.

Sunzha

Near the Terras restaurant

The security services detained two alleged members of the Batalkhadzhintsy brotherhood, Batukhan Tochiyev and Ramazan Padiyev, on suspicion of involvement in the December 2024 assassination of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov in Moscow. No information was available on where the detention occurred.

Social media users reported on a drone attack in Malgobek. Ingushetia Head Makhmud-Ali Kalimatov confirmed the attack. No casualties were reported and the target was not identified.

Malgobek

Security services discovered a cache with a Makarov pistol, two magazines, 16 9mm cartridges, 80 5.45mm cartridges, two F-1 grenades, two UZPGM and UZPGM (modified integrated fuse hand grenade) for F-1 grenades, six Kalashnikov magazines, elements for a handling system, gloves and a balaklava.

Near Barsuki

Nazranovskiy Rayon. In a forest, 80m from the Barsuki-Sredniye Achaluki road

43.260901

44.809233

Security services detained four members of the Batalkhadzhintsy for allegedly aiding Batyr Kulayev, one of the people who supposedly helped the perpetrators of the Crocus City Hall attack. The men were identified as Mansur Tochiyev, Magomed Santaliyev, Makhmud Kartoyev, and Khusen Kulayev. Where the detentions occurred is unclear.

Security services detained a Russian citizen accused of transferring RUB 14mn to members of the Islamic State.

Malgobek

43.509318

44.585723

Security services detained a 22-year-old resident of Ingushetia accused of providing SIM cards to the relatives of IS fighters held in Kurdish filtration camps in Syria. Where the detention occurred was not specified.

Security services detained an 18-year-old resident of Surkhakhi for possession of a Makarov pistol and seven cartridges on behalf of an organised group.

Surkhakhi

43.184873

44.902846

Security services detained a local resident on suspicion of aiding insurgents involved in attacks in March and April 2023. It is unclear where the detention occurred

Security services conducted simultaneous searches in Nazran, Ekazhevo and Magas. IEDs and ammunition were seized and four people detained, but the distribution across the sites was not clear

Ekazhevo

43.208389

44.819088

Security services conducted simultaneous searches in Nazran, Ekazhevo and Magas. IEDs and ammunition were seized and four people detained, but the distribution across the sites was not clear

Magas

43.166820

44.803549

Security services conducted simultaneous searches in Nazran, Ekazhevo and Magas. IEDs and ammunition were seized and four people detained, but the distribution across the sites was not clear

Nazran

43.231326

44.768336

Security services detained a member of the Batalkhadzhintsy brotherhood for possession of a grenade, as part of a search for people involved in an attack on a vehicle carrying employees of the Centre for Combatting Extremism

Security services searched the property of Imam Mukhammad Tamaskhanov after he criticised the authorities over the death of people in a raid on the Wildberries office in Moscow. Tamaskhanov was briefly detained

Unknown people attacked a vehicle carrying employees of the Centre for Combatting Extremism. Izvestiya and Interfax linked the attack to the Batalkhadzhintsy brotherhood

Magas

43.166820

44.803549

Security services detained Sunzhi resident Alikhan Ozdoyev, who is accused of aiding insurgents killed in a 3 March 2024 special operation

Security services conducted a special operation to detain eight people suspected of planning attacks. The operation took place in Magas and Nazran. One suspected insurgent was killed, the rest were detained, but the distribution of figures across the two sites is unclear. Police seized 10kg-equivalent IEDs, a grenade launcher, five automatic weapons, nine pistols, 11 grenades, and more than 8,500 cartridges

Nazran

43.231326

44.768336

Security services conducted a special operation to detain eight people suspected of planning attacks on energy facilities. The operation took place in Magas and Nazran. One suspected insurgent was killed, the rest were detained, but the distribution of figures across the two sites is unclear. Police seized 10kg-equivalent IEDs, a grenade launcher, five automatic weapons, nine pistols, 11 grenades, and more than 8,500 cartridges

Magas

43.166820

44.803549

A man attacked police officers at a DPS post with a screwdriver, wounding one before being killed

Magas

43.166820

44.803549

1

The security services reported that they had discovered an improvised explosive device in a rehab centre

The Federal Security Service, Investigative Committee and Interior Ministry claimed they had prevented a series of terrorist attacks by detaining people in Nazran and Kantyshevo

Nazran

43.231326

44.768336

It is unclear how many were detained at each site, therefore the figures have been divided equally. The men were reportedly members of an unspecified international terrorist organisation and planned to attack law enforcement personnel and the Protection of Our Holy Lady church (церковь Покрова Пресвятой Богородицы) in Sunzha. An improvised explosive device, components, electronic devices were all seized.

The Federal Security Service, Investigative Committee and Interior Ministry claimed they had prevented a series of terrorist attacks by detaining people in Nazran and Kantyshevo

Kantyshevo

43.228066

44.648453

It is unclear how many were detained at each site, therefore the figures have been divided equally. The men were reportedly members of an unspecified international terrorist organisation and planned to attack law enforcement personnel and the Protection of Our Holy Lady church (церковь Покрова Пресвятой Богородицы) in Sunzha. An improvised explosive device, components, electronic devices were all seized.

Security services discovered an arms cache

Nazran

Cemetery, Gamurziyevskiy okrug

43.233117

44.802073

The cache contained an improvised explosive device, an ammonium nitrate mix, 3kg of aluminium powder, 36g of explosive, 560 rifle cartridges, an electronic detonator, and a silencer for an automatic weapon.

Security services detained a resident of Ingushetia for online posts in support of the Caucasus Emirate in September 2023. It is unclear where the detention occurred

Security services detained a man for possessing home-made ammunition and a hand-held anti-tank grenade

Ekazhevo

Nazranovskiy Rayon

43.208389

44.819088

Security services detained a man for possessing home-made ammunition

Malgobekskiy Rayon

The security services detained a 38-year-old resident of Ekazhevo, Nazir Arapiyev, on suspicion of illegal possession of weapons belonging to the Batalkhadzhintsy group.

Ekazhevo

Location presumed

43.208389

44.819088

Security services detained a man born in 1998 on suspicion of terrorist activity, including posting extremist material online and wanting to become a suicide attacker. No details on the location or timing of the arrest were provided.

Components for an improvised explosive device seized. The security services claimed the man was in contact with someone abroad who incited the man to carry out an attack in the name of jihad.

The security services detained a member of the Batalkhadzhintsy accused of a June 2020 murder.

The authorities detained the man on suspicion of the murder of Ibragim Eldzharkiyev near Yandar in June 2020. It was not clear where the detention occurred and the date is presumed from the report.

Security services detained jiu-jitsu fighter Seyd-Umar Imagozhev for failing to inform the authorities about militants who were killed in Karabulak

The detainee was jiu jitsu fighter Seyd-Umar Imagozhev, who was accused of aiding Tagir Tsuroyev

Security services detained a man for aiding insurgents and being responsible for an armed cache found earlier

Alkhasty

43.184295

44.992714

Security services discovered an improvised explosive device in a house where a participant in an earlier attack lived

Sunzha

Ulitsa Chechenskaya

43.336302

45.031988

The house was used by a participant in the 28 March 2023 attack in Kantyshevo

Security services arrested a man and seized a Kalashnikov and ammunition.

Alkhasty

Sunzhenskiy Rayon

43.184295

44.992714

Authorities detained a local resident and seized a Kalashnikov, an empty magazine and 12 cartridges, and homemade ammunition

Security services discover an arms cache belonging to an insurgent killed on 3 March 2024.

Alkhasty

Sunzhenskiy Rayon

43.184295

44.992714

Security services claimed the cache belonged to Tagir Tsuroyev. It contained medication and supplies

Security services discover an improvised explosive device in a person’s home and detain him on suspicion of membership of the Islamic State.

Troitskaya

Sunzhenskiy Rayon

43.302589

44.999317

Authorities linked the 21-year-old owner of the house to the people killed in the 3 March 2024 special operation in Karabulak.

FSB spetsnaz blockaded a group of six suspected rebels during a special operation in Karabulak. The incident formed part of a broader counterterrorism operation in the city. All of the suspects — Amirkhan Gurazhev, Tagir Tsuroyev, Bers Chemurziyev, Mikhail Tutayev, Magomet Barkinkhoyev, and Zelimkhan Tsuroyev — were accused of being members of the Islamic State and were killed in the incident.

Karabulak

Ulitsa Oskanova

43.306749

44.906772

The suspected insurgents were accused of involvement in an attack on a security service post in March 2023. They were identified as Islamic State members 34-year-old Amirkhan Gurazhev, 24-year-old Zelimkhan Tsuroyev, 24-year-old Magomed Barkinkhoyev, 32-year-old Tagir Tsuroyev, 24-year-old Mikhail Tutayev and 26-year-old Bers Chemurziyev. Ingushetian Head Makhmud-Ali Kalimatov claimed they men were planning to carry out an attack ahead of Russian presidential elections. North Caucasus Federal District Plenipotentiary Yuriy Chayka claimed the men were members of the Ingush Liberation Army

FSB spetsnaz blockaded a group of six suspected rebels during a special operation in Ingushetia. The incident formed part of a broader counterterrorism operation in the city.

Karabulak

Ulitsa Rabochaya, Ulitsa Oskanova, Ulitsa Naberezhnaya, Ulitsa Dzhabagiyeva

43.306749

44.906772

End date presumed

Security services searched dozens of people on suspicion of involvement in the attempted murder of local resident Adam Arapiyev, who was a witness in a terrorism case. Two people were detained on terrorism charges as a result

Weapons, explosive device seized

Security services discovered an arms cache filled with five zinc boxes, more than 1,800 cartridges, and several portable firearms

Psedakh

Malgobekskiy Rayon

43.469840

44.569877