Russian trace may be involved in the murder of SBU Colonel Voronych: NYT found out details

Russian special services may be behind the murder of Colonel Ivan Voronych of the Security Service of Ukraine in Kyiv on July 10. This was reported by The New York Times, according to UNN.

Details

Former SBU head Ivan Bakanov told NYT that he knew the deceased personally. He added that Voronych had been involved in repelling Russian aggression since 2014 and that his murder could be an act of public execution carried out by the Russians.

Journalists also reported that Voronych had worked for the SBU since the 1990s. This was told to them by his former colleague on condition of anonymity: he added that the deceased officer had long headed a special operations unit that carried out operations to eliminate high-ranking leaders of pro-Russian militants and Russian military personnel.

In particular, NYT reports that his unit, known as the Fifth Directorate, with technical support from the CIA, organized the elimination of Arsen Pavlov, better known as "Motorola."

After the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Matrunych's unit participated in special operations and combat actions behind the front line, particularly in the Kursk region.

Recall

On the morning of July 10, 2025, SBU Colonel Ivan Voronych was killed in Kyiv by five gunshots from a pistol. He sustained multiple gunshot wounds and died at the scene.

A criminal case has been opened regarding this fact. The investigation is ongoing under Article 348 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (assault on the life of a law enforcement officer, a member of a public formation for the protection of public order and the state border, or a serviceman).