Tajiks linked to ISIS are moving to Europe through Ukraine

Tajiks associated with the terrorist group “Islamic State of Khorasan” are heading to Europe from Ukraine. In January, the German newspaper Bild reported on this. After the terrorist attack in Moscow, in which ISIS is implicated, the Austrian publication Heute wrote about the terrorists’ route.

Back in 2022, shortly after the start of the full-scale war, Tajik citizens arrived in Austria from Ukraine, where they were detained in Vienna in December of the previous year on suspicion of preparing terrorist attacks. According to the investigation, the Tajik and his wife planned an attack using explosives and Kalashnikov rifles on St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Based on Facebook correspondence, they were part of the same structure that claimed responsibility for the Moscow attack – a branch of ISIS called “Islamic State of Khorasan”. Austrian intelligence agencies believe that there are a large number of suspects who allegedly reached Europe through Ukraine.

According to journalists, there is a unified terrorist center that, using Tajik citizens, plans and carries out attacks both in Russia and in Europe, so Ukraine as a state is not involved in this. However, terrorists may use the territory of the country at their discretion. However, based on publications, there were, and perhaps still are, individuals in Ukraine who may be associated with ISIS. Ukrainian intelligence services should pay special attention to verifying this information because if confirmed, it represents a potential threat of Islamist attacks in Ukraine.