UKRAINE’S spy agency says it thwarted a Russian assassination plot to kill President Zelensky after Putin’s spooks allegedly tried to infiltrate his bodyguards.
The SBU exposed a network of agents who it claims were preparing to take out Ukraine’s leader as well as other political and military top brass.
AFPThe SBU foiled the alleged Russian assassination plot[/caption]
GettyVladimir Putin pictured today before he is sworn in for the fifth time as Russian president[/caption]
In a statement posted to Telegram, the SBU wrote: “Yes, the enemy was actively developing plans to eliminate President Volodymyr Zelensky.”
“The network, whose activities were supervised by the FSB from Moscow, included two colonels… who “leaked” secret information of the Russian Federation,” it said.
“One of the tasks of the FSB intelligence network was to search for executors among the military close to the protection of the President, who could take the Head of State hostage and later kill him.”
The SBU also revealed the Russian spies were planning to “liquidate” the head of the SBU, Vasyl Malyuk, and the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence wing (GUR), Kyrylo Budanov, along with other high-ranking officials.
According to Ukraine’s spy agency part of the foiled plot – including the kidnap of Budanov – was supposed to happen before Russia celebrated Easter on May 5.
The SBU added: “The enemy’s plan was as follows: first, the recruited agent had to observe the movement of the person under guard and pass information to the enemy.
“According to the coordinates of the house where the official was supposed to be, a rocket attack was planned.
“Then they were going to attack the people who remained at the affected area with a drone.
“After that, the Russians planned to target with another missile, including to destroy traces of the use of the drone.”
Moscow’s alleged Russian intelligence failure comes as Putin was today inaugurated as Russian president for the fifth time following his sham “victory” in the rigged March elections.
Last month, Poland arrested a man believed to be working with the Kremlin’s security services to help plan the assassination of Zelensky.
A joint investigation, led by Polish and Ukrainian law enforcement, found he “established contacts with the Russian Federation directly involved in the war in Ukraine”.
A statement said: “His tasks included the collecting and providing of military intelligence for the Russian Federation with information on the security of the Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport”.
His intention was “to help Russian special services plan a possible attack” on President Zelensky,” it added.
Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin said at the time: “This case is yet another proof that Russia is a threat not only to Ukraine and Ukrainians but also to the entire free world.
“The Kremlin’s criminal regime is constantly trying to undermine European and global security.”
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