Ukraine foils Russian plot to assassinate senior military intelligence official, police say
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Ukrainian law enforcement has detained a 38-year-old man who was allegedly planning to assassinate a senior Ukrainian military intelligence official using an FPV (first-person-view) drone, Ukraine's National Police said on June 8.
The target was Andrii Yusov, spokesperson for Ukrainian military intelligence and deputy head of Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, he confirmed later in the day.
"Russia is brutal and treacherous," Yusov said on Facebook.
"Any Ukrainian could become its target today: from the soldier on the front line who risks his life every day defending the country, to the ordinary resident of a Ukrainian city living under the threat of terrorist missile and drone attacks," Yusov added.
The case marks the second publicly known Russian-linked assassination plot targeting Yusov in recent months. In February, Ukrainian and Moldovan authorities announced the disruption of a Russian operation "Enigma 2.0," that sought to assassinate several prominent Ukrainians, including journalists, civic activists, military intelligence personnel, and Yusov.
"This latest attempt can also be seen as an assessment of my work at Ukraine's millitary intelligence and the Coordination Headquarters for Prisoners of War. It means we're doing everything right, and that's getting under the Russian occupiers' skin," Yusov said.
The operation is the latest in a series of Russian operations targeting Ukrainian officials, military personnel, and public figures since the start of the full-scale invasion.
Russia's special services recruited a 38-year-old Kyiv resident and former soldier with combat and reconnaissance experience, offering him $100,000 to organize the killing of a senior HUR official, according to investigators. The suspect received a $10,000 advance payment, according to the National Police.
Police said the suspect, who had previous convictions for property-related crimes, was tasked with arranging the contract killing and gathering intelligence on the official's daily movements, residence, vehicles, and routines.
After collecting information, the man allegedly planned to carry out the attack using an FPV drone and began looking for an operator with the required piloting skills
The suspect was detained before the plot could be executed during a joint operation involving National Police criminal investigators, special police units, and HUR's internal security department. If convicted, the detainee faces up to life imprisonment.
The investigation is ongoing as authorities seek to identify other individuals who may have been involved in preparing the attack. The Prosecutor General's Office is overseeing the case.
