Russia’s Federal Security Service announced on Wednesday the detention of seven individuals across eight regions, accusing them of gathering intelligence on defence plants, transport infrastructure, and military personnel for Ukrainian special services. Operatives were arrested in Izhevsk, Barnaul, Blagoveshchensk, and Astrakhan, where four Russian citizens and one foreign national are alleged to have coordinated their activities through the Telegram messaging platform. The FSB also said it had disrupted two individuals engaged in online propaganda justifying Kyiv’s drone and missile attacks. Charges include preparation for terrorist acts and aiding sabotage, reflecting the Kremlin’s intensifying campaign to root out what it portrays as a pervasive Ukrainian intelligence network operating deep inside Russian territory.

Viewed from Moscow, these arrests fit a broader pattern of domestic security sweeps that have accelerated since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The FSB’s statement highlighted the geographical spread—from Udmurtia in the west to the Altai and Transbaikal regions in Siberia—suggesting a coordinated effort to dismantle cells that, according to the agency, were tasked with targeting industrial and transport nodes critical to Russia’s war effort. The involvement of a foreigner, whose nationality was not disclosed, underscores the cross-border dimension that Russian authorities routinely invoke to justify expansive surveillance and prosecution.

Meanwhile, a parallel security operation unfolded in Iran, where state media reported the arrest of at least 49 citizens in four provinces—Kermanshah, West Azerbaijan, Semnan, and Fars. The detention wave, announced by the judiciary and the Intelligence Ministry, targeted individuals accused of “cooperation with the Israeli government”, transmitting images to foreign networks, and possessing Starlink satellite equipment. The semi-official Fars news agency, linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, noted that the main charges included membership in opposition groups, illegal weapons possession, and collusion to disrupt national security. Analysts in Tehran observe that the use of Starlink—a technology sanctioned by Iran but increasingly sought by dissidents—has become a focal point for authorities seeking to close off alternative communications channels.

Both operations reveal a shared preoccupation among the two states with what they frame as externally directed subversion. For Russia, the threat is personified by Ukrainian intelligence; for Iran, by Israel. Yet the domestic dimensions are hard to ignore: the arrests in Iran also targeted activists and those in contact with diaspora groups, while in Russia the charges of “propagating terrorist activity” appear aimed at curbing public dissent against the war. The coordination via encrypted messaging apps, evident in both cases, points to a cat-and-mouse game where security services escalate technical monitoring even as suspects adapt.

Looking ahead, these crackdowns are unlikely to be isolated. In Moscow, the FSB is under pressure to demonstrate results ahead of Victory Day commemorations, while in Tehran the judiciary faces mounting calls to contain unrest stirred by economic hardship and political discontent. Each arrest wave serves a dual purpose: disrupting real or perceived threats, and sending a deterrent signal to domestic audiences. For internationally minded observers, the expanding legal net—encompassing everything from military intelligence collection to possession of satellite terminals—suggests that both governments are recalibrating their definitions of security risk. The result may be a further narrowing of civic space, justified by the exigencies of external confrontation.