Security Service Thwart Assassination of Senior Ukrainian Officials

On August 8, Ukrainian security forces prevented a series of contract killing attempts on top military-political representatives and public figures of Ukraine, reportedly instigated by Russian intelligence.

Several individuals were preparing to liquidate the Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov, the head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence Kyrylo Budanov, and a well-known Ukrainian activist. For the killing of each target, the Russian Federation promised each a reward of $100,000-150 000.

The contracted individuals were assembled by staff members of the military intelligence of the Russian Federation to carry out subversive activities on the territory of Ukraine. Among them was a resident of temporarily occupied Luhansk, who took an active part in combat operations against the Ukrainian forces in the east.

A resident of Kyiv responded to an “offer” from a Moscow-based coordinator and killed a Ukrainian soldier for $ 5,000. This assassination was supposedly a “test” before he was assigned the main tasks of the enemy.

To oversee its full plan, the Russian coordinator personally travelled to Ukraine by road through the territory of Belarus.

Employees of the State Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) documented his arrival in the Volyn region through the Domanove checkpoint where he reportedly met with an accomplice.

The SBU then detained both criminals in Kovel, including evidence of intended criminal acts and a Russian Federation passport.

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Both detainees have been charged with treason under martial law and the intent to commit murder.

“The enemy cannot win on the battlefield, so resorts to its usual methods – organizing assassination attempts on the military and heads of Ukrainian authorities,” according to acting Head of the SBU Vasyl Malyuk.

Complex measures are underway to bring to justice the Russian coordinators of subversive activities who are currently hiding in the Russian Federation.