Moscow – The Russian authorities foiled an ISIS terrorist plot targeting the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017, which Russia expects to host starting next June 17.

Russia’s Kommersant newspaper reported that members of the Federal security foiled a series of terrorist operations and arrested on May 25, four members of a cell linked to ISIS.

The newspaper stated that those suspects uncovered horrible details of a plan targeting the public transportation systems in the Russian capital on the eve of the Confederations Cup opening ceremony.

Further investigations later revealed that those terrorists also planned to target restaurants and the Tyoply Stan metro station in western Moscow.

According to the same source, members of the cell had rented several apartments close to each other in Moscow and its suburbs.

In one of the apartments, the security apparatus found a workshop for the production of explosive devices and a large amount of required materials for the production of bombs.

In the other apartments, the apparatus found weapons and a ready-to-use improvised explosive device, which was placed in a fire-extinguishing cylinder. Those explosives were similar to the one used by the suicide bomber who carried out a terrorist attack two months ago in the Russian city of St. Petersburg.

On April 3, a terrorist blast shook St. Petersburg when it ripped through a train carriage at the city’s metro tunnel, killing 14 people and injuring at least 49.

Three of the arrested suspects cooperated with the investigations and confessed being linked to ISIS.

As for the fourth suspect, called Golmirzayev, he refused the accusations directed against him and denied being a member of a terrorist secret cell. Golmirzayev also said the other suspects had used him without his knowledge.

On June 17, Russia will face New Zealand in the Opening Match of the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 at the Saint Petersburg Stadium.