Recently, two high-ranking collaborators were discovered to have organized assassinations against the top government officials in Kiev. This discovery has raised questions about the extent to which Moscow’s influence reaches into Ukraine.
The Ukrainian domestic secret service, SBU, reported that they had thwarted advanced attack plans against President Volodymyr Zelensky, SBU director Vasil Malyuk, and Kirilo Budanov, the head of military intelligence. The SBU revealed that the Russian secret service FSB had recruited at least two colonels from an agency responsible for protecting the president and high-ranking officials, leading to their arrest.
The plans involved kidnapping and murdering President Zelensky and killing Budanov as a gift to Putin. The SBU uncovered evidence of weapons and a drone being prepared for these attacks. While the authenticity of the recordings is difficult to verify, the plans appear plausible and highlight the infiltration of Russian agents into Ukraine.
The revelation of these assassination plots adds to the ongoing tensions between Ukraine and Russia. Moscow has previously put out wanted notices for President Zelensky and classified Budanov as a terrorist and extremist. These threats and assassination attempts have become almost routine for Zelensky, who has survived multiple attempts on his life.
Despite the challenges posed by Russian infiltration and ongoing threats, Ukraine, with the support of its Western allies, continues to work towards purging its institutions of Russian agents. The discovery of these attack plans serves as a reminder of the persistent threat posed by Moscow and the importance of vigilance in safeguarding Ukraine’s sovereignty.