Dmitry Minaev, head of the FSB's counterintelligence operations department, has been added to the Russian delegation at the trilateral consultations with Ukraine and the US in Abu Dhabi. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the Russian Telegram channel Agentstvo.Novosti. According to the publication, the full delegation list was released by RIA Novosti, citing a source within the negotiation group.
Four New Participants in the Delegation
According to Agentstvo.Novosti, four participants who were not part of previous delegations have joined the Russian group — these representatives are taking part in this format of talks for the first time. The core group includes Alexey Komkov and Sergey Ryabkov, while the expert group includes Dmitry Minaev and Oleg Postnikov. Thus, Moscow has reinforced its delegation with figures from security and counterintelligence structures.
Who is Dmitry Minaev?
Dmitry Minaev heads the FSB's counterintelligence operations department. According to Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, this unit conducted a campaign in Russia to detain US citizens, which, according to the publication, Moscow used to pressure the release of Russian hitman Vadim Krasikov. Gershkovich himself eventually became one of those detained during this campaign.
Operations Linked to His Department
Ukrainian officials who spoke with WSJ reporters have linked Minaev's department to car bombings in 2017 that killed intelligence officers Maksim Shapoval and Alexander Kharaberyush. This same structure has been linked to a failed assassination attempt against Kyrylo Budanov in 2019 — at a time when he was not yet the head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
The Second FSB Representative: Alexey Komkov
Another FSB representative in the delegation, Alexey Komkov, previously held leadership positions in the agency's internal security units. Until 2016, he led a department within the FSB's Internal Security Service, later becoming the head of the entire administration. In 2019, he was appointed Deputy Head of the Military Counterintelligence Service, and in 2024, he took over the FSB's Operational Information and International Relations Service.
Context of the Abu Dhabi Talks
On November 10, trilateral talks between Ukraine, the US, and Russia on ending the war continue in Abu Dhabi. The main goal of the Ukrainian delegation is to achieve an end to hostilities, secure reliable security guarantees after the war, and reach agreements on economic recovery and humanitarian issues. Before the trilateral meeting, Ukraine held coordination consultations with representatives of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, NATO, and the European Commission, as well as with US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Separately in Paris, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio; the parties discussed peace efforts, strategic partnership, and strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities.
