Hitman arrested in central Kyiv after attempt on Ukrainian intelligence officer

The FSB agent was exposed as part of a multi-stage operation. The hitman was detained in the very center of Kyiv during the attempted murder of a Ukrainian serviceman — literally caught “red-handed,” when the accomplice of the occupiers had already drawn a pistol and aimed it at a GUR officer.

Investigators established that the hitman is a citizen of a Central Asian country. The suspect, who had been looking for “easy money” in his home country, was recruited by Russia’s FSB. The agent entered Ukraine under the guise of a tourist.

Initially, the “tourist” stayed in the city of Pervomaisk in the Mykolaiv region. There, he purchased several smartphones and various SIM cards, which he used to communicate with his FSB handler. The Russian agent then traveled to Kyiv, where he received photos of the target, approximate geolocations, and coordinates of a weapons cache from his Russian supervisors.

“For the physical elimination of the officer, he was promised $50,000 and legalization in one of the EU countries. At the site of the attempted assassination of the Ukrainian intelligence officer, law enforcement seized a weapon with ammunition and a smartphone containing evidence of his contacts with the FSB,” the SBU said.

Based on the investigation materials, the foreign national has been notified of suspicion under several articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:

• Part 2, Article 15 and Part 2, Article 115 — attempted premeditated murder;

• Part 1, Article 111-2 — aiding the aggressor state;

• Part 1, Article 263 — illegal handling of weapons, ammunition, or explosives.

“The suspect is in custody. He faces life imprisonment with confiscation of property,” the SBU added.

Photo: SBU

Earlier, the SBU sent to court the case of an FSB agent who, on orders from Russian intelligence services, was preparing a bombing in Lviv. The terrorist attack was planned for July 2025 and was aimed at Ukrainian law enforcement officers.

Previously, in Dnipro, the SBU detained a Russian agent who was preparing coordinates for new Russian strikes on the city. He was supposed to place GPS beacons near targets to guide Russian missiles and drones.

In addition, SBU military counterintelligence detained an FSB agent within the ranks of Ukraine’s Defense Forces who was helping Russian troops adjust missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian targets. The suspect turned out to be the head of a medical unit in one of the combat brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.