FSB Official’s Planned Bombing in Moscow Covered as Helium Cylinder Explosion — New Data

Russia’s FSB in Moscow allegedly concealed a planned bombing of one of its officials in 2025 under the guise of a helium cylinder explosion.

VCHK-OGPU and Rucriminal.info obtained footage of the attack on the Deputy Head of the FSB Fifth Service, General Alexey Titov, in August 2025 in the Detskiy Mir Store building.

The footage shows the general walking alongside and speaking with a woman holding a bag. An explosion is then heard.

“The woman was Elena Barysheva, the widow of Russian FSB Colonel Dmitriy Baryshev, who served under Titov and died several years ago,” Cheka-OGPU reported.

Elena Barysheva died at the scene. Titov sustained serious injuries and was hospitalized in a coma.

“Prior to this, Barysheva had repeatedly complained to acquaintances about the unworthy attitude of the FSB leadership toward her husband and family,” VCHK-OGPU reported.

Alexey Titov, in the Fifth Service (which specializes in collecting intelligence information in the countries of the former USSR), headed the analytical department that prepared reports on the need to invade the territory of Ukraine.

Covering up the explosion

On August 24, 2025, an explosion occurred in the Moscow Detksiy Mir Store on Lubyanka, next to the FSB building.

Russian authorities described the incident as a helium tank explosion used for inflating balloons. According to official statements, it allegedly depressurized.

Three people were injured in the explosion: two were hospitalized, and one was treated at the scene.

The moment of the explosion at the Central Children’s Store in Moscow on August 24, 2025. Photo credits: VCHK-OGPU

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin called the cause of the explosion a “technical malfunction of the equipment”.

Later, media reported that one of the victims was an FSB officer, 55-year-old Alexey Titov:

“His bag with his ID was found at the scene, and he was put into a medically induced coma with severe leg injuries.”

The aftermath of the explosion at the Detskiy Mir Store in Moscow on August 24, 2025. Photo credits: Russian media

The Moscow Department of Health was the first to officially report the explosion, publishing a video from the scene. The department also shared footage showing damage inside the store, but later edited the post, removing that segment.

Later, other Russian agencies also began removing information about the explosion at the Detksiy Mir store. A video showing damage inside the building was deleted. Media outlets subsequently shifted terminology, referring to the explosion as an “incident.”