Additionally, as analyst Andrei Soldierov told the Financial Times in December 2024, the FSB is “very good at investigating what has already happened, but not particularly good at gathering information about what’s about to happen.” What is needed is “trust and a good exchange of information – something that is rarely seen between Russian authorities.” Russian armed forces rely heavily on volunteer groups and donations to fill supply gaps. It is precisely this dependency that opens up a vulnerability: if these channels can be infiltrated, trust in the entire system is shaken.
The insoles case is apparently not the first time that Russian soldiers have been confronted with explosive devices hidden in useful equipment. A similar method is said to have been used against Russian drone operators in early 2025. The media “Babel”, citing sources from Ukrainian special services, reported that FPV (first-person view) goggles were equipped with small explosive charges and sent to Russian drone units as relief supplies. The charge was small but sufficient to cause serious injury at close range.
