(Kyiv) The Ukrainian security services (SBU) announced on Tuesday the arrest of two security officers suspected of having prepared the assassination of President Volodymyr Zelensky and other senior officials of the country, on orders from Moscow.
The SBU “dismantled a network of agents” of the Russian security services (FSB) who “were preparing the assassination of the Ukrainian president,” this source said in a statement.
Other “senior representatives” of the military and political spheres were also targeted, such as the head of military intelligence Kyrylo Budanov, Ukrainian services said.
The arrested suspects are “two colonels” from the Ukrainian state service providing security to public officials, they said.
This network was “supervised” by the FSB and the two officials allegedly “transmitted confidential information” to Russia, the SBU said.
In particular, they would have wanted to recruit soldiers “close to the security service” of President Zelensky in order to “take him hostage and kill him”, according to the Ukrainian authorities.
One of the members of this alleged network allegedly obtained drones and explosives, according to the SBU.
Ukraine has repeatedly denounced assassination attempts against its president, other senior officials or their relatives.
In April, a man suspected of helping Russian intelligence prepare an attack against Volodymyr Zelensky was arrested in Poland, according to Polish and Ukrainian prosecutors.
Russia has repeatedly been accused of poisoning Kremlin adversaries at home and abroad, but it has always denied the allegations.