SBU discloses network of Russian FSB agents preparing Presidential assassination: two colonels of State Protection Department detained
Kyiv • UNN
The SBU announces the exposure of a network of Russian FSB agents who were preparing the assassination of the President: two colonels of State Protection Department are detained.
The Security Service of Ukraine reported that it had "exposed a network of agents of the 5th service of the Russian Federal Security Service who were preparing the assassination of the President of Ukraine" and that two colonels of the State Protection Department had been detained, UNN reports.
Details
"SBU counterintelligence and investigators foiled FSB plans to eliminate the President of Ukraine and other representatives of the country's top military and political leadership. The plans were to be implemented by an agent network that was exposed in advance by the Security Service of Ukraine with the assistance of the leadership of the State Protection Department. The network, whose activities were supervised by the FSB from Moscow, included two colonels of the State Protection Department who "leaked" secret information to Russia," the SBU reported on social media.
According to the SBU, "the enemy was actively developing plans to eliminate President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. One of the tasks of the FSB's agent network was to search for perpetrators among the military close to the President's security detail who could take the Head of State hostage and then kill him.
"In addition to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the enemy planned to eliminate SBU Head Vasyl Malyuk, Chief of the Defence Intelligence Service Kyrylo Budanov and other high-ranking officials. For example, the liquidation of the head of the GUR Kyrylo Budanov was going to be carried out before Easter," the SBU said.
According to the SBU, "the enemy's plan was as follows: first, the recruited agent was to observe the movement of the protected person and pass information to the enemy. The coordinates of the house where the official was supposed to be were to be used to launch a missile strike. Then they were going to attack the people who remained at the site of the attack with a drone. After that, the Russians planned to hit with another missile, including to destroy the traces of the drone.
"The agent was provided with weapons by a colonel of the UDO, who personally brought FPV drones, charges for RPG-7, and MON-90 anti-personnel mines to Kyiv. The SBU recorded both the colonel's trips to another region of Ukraine to get drones and explosives, and conversations between the potential terrorist attacker and his FSB 'curator'," the SBU said.
The Security Service of Ukraine, as indicated, gradually documented the criminal actions of the defendants and detained them.
Only a limited number of people knew about our special operation, and I personally controlled its course. The terrorist attack, which was supposed to be a gift for Putin's inauguration, was in fact a failure of the Russian secret service. But we must not forget that the enemy is strong and experienced, and cannot be underestimated. We will continue to work proactively to ensure that every traitor receives a well-deserved court sentence
"The Russian Federal Security Service has once again confirmed the status of a terrorist organization, because it was the employees of the 9th Directorate of the Operational Information Department of the 5th Service who supervised the organization of the terrorist attack. They are: Maxim Mishustin; Dmitry Perlin; Alexei Kornev," the SBU reported.
In particular, according to the special service, in January 2022, Perlin became the curator of the "moles" who were recruited before Russia's full-scale invasion. Until then, they had been "supervised" by his colleague Alexei Kornev. Thus, before the outbreak of a full-scale war, Kornev held a series of secret meetings with Colonel Udoh on the territory of neighboring European countries. Funds for the agents were also usually transferred abroad, the SBU said.
As noted, searches were conducted at the offenders' premises, during which the relevant means of destruction, as well as other evidence of criminal activity, were found and seized.
They have been notified of suspicion under the following articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
- ч. 2, Art. 111 (high treason committed under martial law);
- ч. 1, Art. 14, Art. 258, Part 2 (preparation for a terrorist act).
The suspects have been detained as a measure of restraint. The defendants face life imprisonment.
