The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announces that it foiled the plans of a network of Russian agents plotting to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other government officials, writes libertatea.ro citing Reuters and Ukrainska Pravda.
Two colonels of the State Security Administration were exposed for treason and complicity in committing a terrorist attack, the SBU states.
“Counterintelligence and SBU investigators foiled the plans of the FSB (Federal Security Service of Russia) to eliminate the President of Ukraine and other representatives of the highest political-military leadership of the state. The plans were to be implemented by an intelligence network, which was previously exposed by the Security Service of Ukraine with the help of the leadership of the State Security Administration,” the secret service representatives said.
They also state that “one of the tasks of the FSB intelligence network was to look for executioners among the military close to the president’s security, who would take the head of state hostage and then kill him.” And in addition to Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the head of the SBU, Vasili Maliuk, the head of the Military Intelligence Agency of Ukraine (HUR), Kirill Budanov, and other high-ranking officials were also targeted.
The Ukrainian authorities also state that the suspects passed confidential information to representatives of the Russian intelligence service and prepared and concealed means and tools for committing a terrorist act. One of them received from the representatives of the FSB intelligence network two drones and ammunition for them, which he had to transfer to other accomplices to trigger the explosion.
According to Ukraine, the plans were foiled and the suspects were detained and later arrested. During the searches of their homes, objects and documents containing evidence of criminal activity were found, Kiev also states.
A similar announcement was made last month, when Ukrainian law enforcement officers, in cooperation with their counterparts in the Republic of Poland, detained a Polish citizen, suspected of being willing to act in favor of the special services of the Russian Federation and offered to assassinate the president of Ukraine.
And last August, Ukraine’s security service announced that it had arrested a woman, a Russian citizen, who was allegedly involved in a plot to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a visit he made to Mykolaiv.
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Tags: assassination attempt Volodymyr Zelensky thwarted Ukrainian services
