Ukrainian counterintelligence foiled an alleged plot by Russia’s Federal Security Service to kill President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other senior Ukrainian officials. Investigators said the assassination plan came from Moscow, and it implicated two colonels within Ukraine’s State Security Department who allegedly provided financial support and sensitive information to the Russian FSB.
According to Ukraine’s Security Service, the scheme included planned missile and drone strikes on locations frequented by President Zelenskyy. Authorities allegedly apprehended one suspect with two drones and explosives intended for use in the attack.
This incident adds to a series of reported attempts on President Zelenskyy’s life since the Russian invasion. Zelenskyy stated in 2022 there had been at least 10 assassination attempts since the conflict began in February 2022.
The two Ukrainian security force colonels were arrested on suspicion of treason—one of them charged with aiding in planning a terrorist act. Both individuals face potential life imprisonment.
