Counterintelligence of the Security Service of Ukraine has detained a hitman who, on instructions from the Russian Federation, attempted to assassinate a high-ranking official of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the "May 9 anniversary." This was reported by the press service of the SBU, according to UNN.
Details
Security Service counterintelligence prevented a high-profile terrorist attack in Odesa. A Russian agent who attempted to eliminate a high-ranking official of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was detained in the regional center. The detention took place thanks to the SBU's round-the-clock proactive work and a timely report from a concerned citizen who contacted the Security Service's "hotline" regarding a suspicious individual,
According to the plan of the Russian special services, the murder of the officer was to take place on May 9 to create an information background favorable to the Kremlin for the celebration of "Victory Day." As the investigation established, the hitman planned to set up an ambush near the Ukrainian serviceman's residence and intended to shoot him with an assault rifle.
According to available data, the perpetrator was to open fire while the officer was behind the wheel of his car leaving the courtyard. Counterintelligence officers and special forces of the SBU's "Alpha" CSO thwarted the assassination attempt and detained the hitman on May 8. According to the case files, the suspect turned out to be a recidivist from the Donetsk region recruited by the enemy, who had previously served a sentence for intentional homicide. The man came to the attention of the Rashists when he was looking for "easy money" in specialized Telegram channels,
After recruitment, he arrived in Odesa, where he rented an apartment to prepare for the assassination. Initially, the suspect tracked the Ukrainian serviceman's residence, conducted reconnaissance of the surrounding area, and selected locations for the ambush.
Next, the agent received coordinates of caches from a handler in the Russian Federation, from which he retrieved an AK-74 assault rifle and two loaded magazines. To hide the weapon while moving through the city, the hitman used a bag with a false bottom. During searches of the detainee, an assault rifle with ammunition and a mobile phone, which he used to coordinate his actions with the Russian special service operative, were seized,
Security Service of Ukraine investigators informed the agent of suspicion under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
- Part 2 of Art. 111 (high treason committed under martial law);
- Part 3 of Art. 15, Art. 258 (unfinished attempt to commit a terrorist act).
The perpetrator is in custody. He faces life imprisonment with confiscation of property.
As a reminder
The Security Service of Ukraine is investigating over 130,000 criminal proceedings related to the armed aggression of the Russian Federation. These cover 80% of all crimes committed by Russians on the territory of Ukraine during the invasion, including shelling of energy infrastructure. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the enemy has carried out 596 such strikes on oil and gas infrastructure alone.