No evidence of Ukrainian involvement in Lubyanka explosion – former SBU deputy head

Former SBU deputy head (2014–2015) Major General Viktor Yahun told Espreso there is no evidence linking the blast to Ukrainian special services.

He said no sources have confirmed involvement of Ukraine or internal FSB conflicts. The prevailing version remains technical — a faulty helium cylinder inside the store.

“No sources (neither official nor independent) are currently reporting any theories of terrorism or deliberate sabotage. Likewise, none of the confirmed sources suggest such a possibility. All reports point exclusively to a domestic or technical failure. There is no indication that the explosion is linked to the actions of Ukrainian special services or any malicious actors. Every source refers only to a technical cause. At this time, the most official version is that faulty equipment or a gas cylinder for bullets exploded due to a technical malfunction. There is no direct evidence to suggest otherwise,” the expert emphasized.

Yahun added that no similar incidents have occurred at the store or nearby.

Reuters reported one death and three injuries, including high-ranking FSB officer Alexei Titov, 55, who suffered serious leg injuries and is in an induced coma. His briefcase and ID were found at the scene.

Investigators are probing the cause, with a technical failure preliminarily cited. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin called it an “extraordinary event” and also blamed faulty equipment.

• On the afternoon of August 24, 2025, an explosion hit the third floor of Moscow’s Central Children’s Store near the FSB headquarters on Lubyanka Square.