Photo: Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU)
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) says it has thwarted an assassination attempt against an officer of the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) of the Ministry of Defense in central Kyiv. The attack was planned by an agent of Russia’s FSB.
According to the SBU, counterintelligence officers detained the hitman in flagrante as he drew a pistol and aimed it at the HUR officer inside one of Kyiv’s venues on Friday morning, December 26. Investigators say the would-be assassin is a 28-year-old citizen of a Central Asian country who was recruited by the FSB in his home country via a Telegram channel.
The man entered Ukraine as a tourist and initially stayed in Pervomaisk, Mykolaiv region, where he purchased several smartphones and SIM cards, regularly changing them to communicate with his FSB handler. He later traveled to Kyiv, where he received from his handler photos of the intended target, approximate locations, and the coordinates of a weapons cache from which he retrieved a pistol and ammunition.
The SBU says the FSB promised the suspect $50,000 and assistance with legalization in one of the EU countries in exchange for killing the Ukrainian officer.
During the arrest, officers seized the weapon and ammunition, as well as a smartphone containing evidence of contacts with the FSB.
The suspect has been charged under several articles of Ukraine’s Criminal Code:
- Part 2 of Article 15 and Part 2 of Article 115 (attempted premeditated murder);
- Part 1 of Article 111-2 (aiding the aggressor state);
- Part 1 of Article 263 (illegal handling of weapons and ammunition).
The suspect is in custody and faces life imprisonment with confiscation of property.
