Ukraine foils Russian plot to assassinate President Zelenskyy

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has apprehended five individuals allegedly working for the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia, accused of plotting to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Among the detainees are two colonels from the UDO, the Ukrainian State Protection Department tasked with securing high-ranking officials.

The SBU announced in a statement released on Tuesday via Telegram that "the network, orchestrated by the FSB from Moscow, encompassed two UDO colonels who relayed confidential information to the Russian Federation."

In addition to targeting Zelenskyy, the apprehended group is accused of plotting to assassinate the SBU chief, General Vasyl Malyuk, the military intelligence chief HUR General Kyrylo Budanov, and other top officials, as reported.

As per the SBU, the group's focus was primarily on plans to terminate Zelenskyy. "One of the FSB agent network's objectives was to identify potential executors within the military, close to the president's security detail, who might be coaxed into taking the president hostage and subsequently assassinating him," the SBU elucidated.

The statement highlighted that the planned assault on HUR head Budanov was scheduled to unfold before Easter, which is celebrated in Ukraine on the last Sunday.

The SBU disclosed that, according to Russian plots, a covertly recruited Ukrainian agent was to initially gather and transmit intelligence about the movements and locations of high-ranking officials, including the president. This intelligence would then be used to orchestrate a missile strike on the building housing them.

"Following this, (the Russians) intended to assault any survivors at the site with a drone. The next phase involved launching another missile strike, partly to obliterate any evidence of the drone's deployment," the SBU reported.