The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported that it thwarted an attempted contract killing of Serhiy Filimonov, commander of the 108th Separate Battalion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces known as the “Da Vinci Wolves.”
According to the SBU, the assassination plot was orchestrated by Russian intelligence services (FSB), which recruited a resident of the Dnipropetrovsk region by posing as SBU representatives.
“False-flag agent operations are a relatively new tactic used by the Russian security service. During recruitment conversations, FSB representatives present themselves as SBU officers and assign tasks to agents, allegedly in the interests of Ukraine,” the SBU stated.
The “Da Vinci Wolves” are an assault unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, originally formed as a volunteer battalion that has been fighting since 2014 in the Donbas war.
Known for their high motivation and combat experience, they have fought in some of the most intense areas of the front line, including near Bakhmut. The unit is named in honor of its fallen commander, Dmytro Kotsiubailo, call sign “Da Vinci,” a Hero of Ukraine.
The FSB reportedly targeted a veteran of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) from Kamianske. The man was convinced that the SBU had tasked him to neutralize an enemy spotter working for Russia – not a Ukrainian military commander.
Investigators found that a woman posing as an SBU officer contacted the man via a social media platform. In reality, she was an FSB agent. She told him that the online store from which he had previously purchased medical supplies was allegedly funding the Russian army. This fabricated information was used to accuse him of “state treason” and inform him of a supposedly opened criminal case.
To increase psychological pressure, FSB agents sent the man a fake summons to appear for interrogation at the SBU. They then offered him “cooperation” with the SBU in exchange for closing the case. He was sent a “recruitment form” and instructed to travel to Kyiv.
According to Ukrainian law enforcement, the FSB exploited the man’s sincere patriotic beliefs. They convinced him that he was helping the SBU fight the enemy.
Once in Kyiv, the man was ordered to rent an apartment in a residential building where, according to Russian intelligence, Filimonov lived. He was then instructed to begin surveillance of the commander’s car.
The FSB handler told the recruit that Filimonov was a “traitor,” allegedly coordinating missile strikes on Kyiv. After one of the massive Russian attacks on the capital, the handler claimed the “target” he was monitoring was responsible for the destruction.
The recruited Ukrainian regularly sent photo reports to his FSB contact — images taken in the courtyard of the building and descriptions of Filimonov’s movements. Later, the FSB provided the coordinates of a weapons cache on the outskirts of Kyiv, where an automatic rifle had been hidden.
After retrieving the Kalashnikov rifle, the man continued his surveillance and eventually received the order to assassinate Filimonov.
However, the plan was foiled — SBU operatives detained the man as he walked outside with a loaded weapon. He has been formally charged under Article 263 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
During a search, law enforcement seized his mobile phone, which contained his communications with the FSB handler.
“The SBU emphasizes: Security Service officers do not recruit people by phone, do not propose unlawful actions, and do not issue questionable assignments. The SBU operates strictly within the framework of Ukrainian law,” the SBU statement said.