Ukrainian counterintelligence has reportedly foiled a Russian plot to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other top-ranking military and political figures.
What Happened: Two colonels from the State Guard of Ukraine, who are tasked with protecting top officials, were arrested on suspicion of executing the plan. The plot was allegedly masterminded by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB). The Ukrainian state security service revealed that these colonels were recruited before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, according to a report by AP News.
The plan was to be executed prior to Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s fifth-term inauguration on Tuesday, according to Vasyl Maliuk, head of the State Security Service. Maliuk personally oversaw the top-secret operation to uncover the plot.
Claims of Russian attempts to assassinate Zelenskyy are not new. Zelenskyy himself stated in 2022 that there had been at least 10 attempts on his life since the conflict with Russia began, now in its third year. Furthermore, a Polish man was arrested last month on suspicion of planning to spy for Russia’s military intelligence in a separate alleged plot to assassinate Zelenskyy.
Why It Matters: Zelenskyy has previously equated losing the war against Russia to death, stating that to lose to Putin means to be killed. This highlights the gravity of the situation and the high stakes involved in the ongoing conflict.
Moreover, Putin’s inauguration for his fifth term, which took place amid a boycott from the United States and several allied nations, signifies the continuation of a regime that has been a dominant force in Russia’s political scene since 1999. This development, coupled with the alleged assassination plot, underscores the escalating tensions and the severity of the two-year conflict in Ukraine.
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