Two colonels from the State Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) have been detained for allegedly plotting the assassination of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian officials declared. The SBU described the plan as an intricate scheme coordinated by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), emphasizing the gravity of the betrayal and the potential threat to national security.
The startling revelation comes amid ongoing tensions with Russia, with Ukraine asserting that the colonels had been turned into “moles” by Russian intelligence. The plot, according to the SBU, not only targeted Zelenskyy but also aimed to murder other high-ranking Ukrainian officials, including SBU chief Vasyl Malyuk and military intelligence head Kyrylo Budanov.
The Ukrainian security service claims the two officers, whose identities remain undisclosed, had obtained drones to be used in the operation against the Ukrainian president. “Their mission involved identifying military personnel within Zelenskyy’s security detail capable of abducting and assassinating him,” an SBU statement explained.
Details of the foiled plot were chilling: One agent was to monitor the president’s movements for a planned missile and drone strike. This alleged assassination attempt was interpreted as a “gift” to Russian President Vladimir Putin prior to his inauguration.
The U.S. administration expressed concern regarding the reported assassination attempt. “Obviously we are glad that the potential assassination attempt was averted,” said the White House press secretary. The State Department spokesperson added, “It just speaks to the depravity that we’ve seen on display from the Putin regime since the outset of this conflict.”
If convicted, the detained colonels could face life imprisonment for charges of plotting a terror attack and state treason. The SBU underscored the severity of the situation, with spokesperson Artem Dehtiarenko telling media outlets that this marked the first instance of such high-ranking officials within Ukrainian security services acting as Russian operatives.
Despite Russian officials’ previous statements at the United Nations denying plans to kill Zelenskyy, Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president and current deputy head of the Russian Security Council, has openly called for the assassination of the Ukrainian leader multiple times.
The ongoing conflict has seen various alleged assassination attempts against Zelenskyy, with the president himself suggesting that he has survived more than 10 such efforts. With this recent development, the Ukrainian authorities have once again exposed the depth of infiltration and the continuous threats facing their top officials.
Relevant articles:
– 2 Ukrainians detained for allegedly plotting Zelenskyy assassination with Russia, Ukraine says, abcnews.go.com, 05/08/2024
– Ukraine arrests 2 rogue colonels over secret plot to murder Zelenskyy, Kyiv says, POLITICO Europe, 05/07/2024
– Ukraine claims it foiled Russian plot to assassinate President Zelenskyy, Al Jazeera English, 05/07/2024
– Ukraine says it foiled a Russian spy agency plot to assassinate President Zelenskyy, The Associated Press, 05/07/2024
– Ukraine says it foiled Russian plot to assassinate President Zelenskyy, NBC News, 05/07/2024