The recently foiled Russian plot to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other senior political and military figures could have been a deciding factor in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
The decapitation strike would have come at a critical time in the conflict potentially turning the tide in Russia’s favor.
🔴Ukrainian security forces have thwarted an assassination scheme targeting President Volodymyr @ZelenskyyUa, leading to the arrest of five individuals allegedly linked to Russia’s Federal Security Service (@RUS_FSB).https://t.co/77GW9oFEU4
— TVP World (@TVPWorld_com) May 7, 2024
The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) broke up the plot on Tuesday arresting two senior officers both colonels in the Department of State Security.
The assassination plan allegedly involved suborning members of Zelensky’s personal protection detail to kidnap and later assassinate him under the cover of Russian missile and drone strikes.
SBU Chairman Lieutenant General Vasyl Malyuk and the head of military intelligence Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov were also targeted in the plot. Malyuk revealed that the terrorist attack was supposed to be a “gift” for Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of his Tuesday inauguration for another six-year term.
The foiling of this assassination plot underscores the critical role played by Ukraine’s intelligence and security services in protecting the country’s leadership. Had the plot succeeded it could have dealt a devastating blow to Ukraine’s war effort and potentially altered the course of the conflict in Russia’s favor.
