Russia planned assassinations of Ukrainian public figures: Military intelligence spokesman among targets
Andrii Yusov (photo: Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
National Police, Security Service of Ukraine, and law enforcement officers of Moldova prevented a series of high-profile murders of Ukrainian public, military, and political figures. They were being prepared by Russian intelligence services, press services of the National Police, Security Service of Ukraine, and Prosecutor General of Ukraine Ruslan Kravchenko.
The operation was named ENIGMA 2.0.
According to law enforcement, citizens of Moldova were recruited to carry out instructions of Russian intelligence services, who were later sent to Ukraine to perform targeted assassinations.
Already on the territory of Ukraine, they collected detailed information about potential targets: places of residence and work, movement routes, locations, and also worked out possible methods of committing murder.
After that, they waited for instructions from the handler who maintained contact with Russian intelligence operatives.
It was established that among persons planned for elimination were well-known journalist included in Russia on list of extremists and declared wanted, one of heads of state strategic enterprise, active servicemen of Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, including fighters of International Legion of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine and Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as public activist originally from Russia who took pro-Ukrainian position.
One of the targets of Russia was the representative for strategic communications of military intelligence, deputy head of the Coordination Headquarters for Treatment of Prisoners of War, Andrii Yusov.
photo: press service of the National Police of Ukraine
photo: press service of the Security Service of Ukraine
photo: press service of the Security Service of Ukraine
photo: press service of the Security Service of Ukraine
photo: press service of the Security Service of Ukraine
photo: press service of the Security Service of Ukraine
photo: press service of the Security Service of Ukraine
photo: press service of the Security Service of Ukraine
photo: press service of the Security Service of Ukraine
photo: press service of the National Police of Ukraine
photo: press service of the National Police of Ukraine
photo: press service of the National Police of Ukraine
photo: press service of the National Police of Ukraine
photo: press service of the National Police of Ukraine
photo: press service of the National Police of Ukraine
photo: press service of the National Police of Ukraine
photo: press service of the National Police of Ukraine
photo: press service of the National Police of Ukraine
Planned murders of these persons, according to the organizers' plan, were supposed to cause public resonance, negative media coverage of the security situation, and be used for subversive activity against Ukraine.
Participants of an organized group clearly distributed roles, planned methods of killings, prepared weapons and tools of crime, and worked out escape routes. For each murder Russian side promised perpetrators up to 100 thousand dollars — the amount depended on the notoriety and influence of the potential victim.
To prevent the implementation of criminal plans, law enforcement simultaneously conducted more than 20 searches in several regions of Ukraine at the places of residence of persons probably involved in the preparation of contract killings.
During investigative actions, mobile phones, computer equipment, weapons, ammunition, and explosives were seized. Correspondence with Russian handlers was documented, confirming coordination of criminal activity.
Seven people were detained in Ukraine. At the same time, urgent investigative actions were conducted in the territory of Moldova, where three more persons were detained — including the organizer of the network and two of his accomplices.
Members of the criminal group were notified of suspicion. A motion is being prepared for the court to choose a preventive measure in the form of detention in custody.
Detention of Russian agents
Earlier, the Security Service of Ukraine and the National Police exposed a network of female agents of the Federal Security Service of Russia who manufactured improvised bombs for terrorist attacks in crowded places in Ukrainian cities of Kyiv and Zhytomyr.
Also Security Service of Ukraine detained a hostile agent who was preparing an assassination attempt on an official of a state institution responsible for defense preparation in the Kirovohrad region.
The Security Service of Ukraine exposed three Russian agents who were preparing explosions of cars and apartments of Ukrainian servicemen and their families in Odesa.
