Recently, Ukraine has been making headlines due to the arrest of two security colonels on charges of coordinating with Russia and participating in a plot to assassinate high-ranking officials, including President Zelensky. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced that they had thwarted an assassination plan by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) targeting Ukrainian officials.
According to the SBU, Russia was seeking individuals close to President Zelensky’s bodyguard who could potentially harm or capture him. The two colonels arrested were from the State Security Department (UDO), an agency overseen by the National Assembly and tasked with protecting public agencies, officials, and their families.
In addition to the assassination plot against President Zelensky, the SBU also revealed that Major General Vasyl Malyuk, the leader of the SBU, and Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Ukrainian Military Intelligence Agency (GUR), were also targeted. Spies recruited by Russia were said to be monitoring the activities of Ukrainian officials to provide coordinates for potential missile attacks.
Ukraine stated that after missile strikes on key targets in Kiev, Russia planned to deploy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to eliminate any survivors in the area before launching another missile to erase evidence of the attack. Russia has not officially responded to these allegations made by Ukraine.
This is not the first time Ukraine has announced thwarting a plot to assassinate President Zelensky. In previous incidents, individuals have been arrested for allegedly assisting Russian special forces in planning attacks on the President. These events underscore ongoing tensions between Ukraine and Russia and highlight