Ukraine war latest: 10 detained after Russian-ordered assassination plot foiled
Key developments on Feb. 20:
- Ukraine, Moldova, detain 10 over alleged Russian-ordered assassination plot
- Two police officers killed in Russian drone strike on civilian evacuation unit in Kupiansk district
- Russian soldier sentenced to life in prison for executing Ukrainian POWs
- Russia stalls once again as Ukraine pushes for new February peace talks
Ten people were detained in Moldova and Ukraine for allegedly plotting contract killings of prominent Ukrainians on Russia's orders, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said on Feb. 20.
The Moldovan Police and Ukrainian law enforcement agencies announced a day earlier that they had launched a criminal investigation into an alleged plot to assassinate several public figures in Ukraine. The probe is being carried out by a joint investigative team formed by the two countries.
The operation, codenamed "Enigma 2.0," was carried out jointly by the SBU, Ukraine's National Police, and Moldova's Police.
The suspects were reportedly planning attacks targeting Ukrainian journalists, public activists, the head of a strategic enterprise, and personnel of Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR), including members of the International Legion, according to the SBU.
Andrii Yusov, representative for strategic communications at the Main Intelligence Directorate, deputy head of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, was one of the targets of the attackers, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko said.
The suspects considered various assassination methods, including shootings and car bombings. The Russian organizers of the alleged plot promised payments of up to $100,000 for each target, the report read.
In a joint operation, Ukrainian and Moldovan law enforcement agencies arrested the alleged leader of a criminal group — a 34-year-old man — along with several accomplices operating in Ukraine, EU member states and Transnistria, a Kremlin-occupied region in Moldova.
The SBU said the leader had been recruited by Russian special services while serving a prison sentence in Russia. He was tasked with forming and coordinating the group under Moscow's supervision.
The network was divided into surveillance and assassination teams. Some members entered Ukraine as tourists and stayed in rented apartments across different regions.
Two police officers killed in Russian drone strike on civilian evacuation unit in Kupiansk district
Two Ukrainian police officers were killed, and another was injured after a Russian drone struck an evacuation vehicle in Kharkiv Oblast's Kupiansk district on Feb. 20, the National Police reported.
The officers were members of the "White Angels" evacuation unit and were carrying out a mission to evacuate civilians when their armored vehicle was hit near the village of Serednii Burluk.
The police said the vehicle was attacked by a Russian Lancet loitering munition. Officers Yuliia Keleberda, 23, and Yevhen Kalhan, 39, sustained fatal injuries and died at the scene. Another officer suffered injuries.
The "White Angels" unit has been operating since the early stages of Russia's full-scale invasion, evacuating civilians from front line and high-risk areas, including children, elderly people, and persons with disabilities.
"They carried out numerous missions to the most dangerous settlements, evacuating dozens of families, including children, elderly people, and persons with disabilities. They repeatedly risked their lives to save others. Sadly, this evacuation became their last," the Police said.
Keleberda is survived by her parents. Kalhan is survived by his wife, mother, a 16-year-old son, and a 7-year-old daughter.
Earlier in the spring of 2026, Russian forces targeted a Ukrainian volunteer's evacuation vehicle with three FPV drones during what Moscow called an Easter ceasefire, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
Russian soldier sentenced to life in prison for executing Ukrainian POWs
A Kyiv court sentenced a Russian soldier to life imprisonment for executing two Ukrainian prisoners of war, Ukraine's Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko said on Feb. 20.
The Court convicted Vladimir Ivanov, a serviceman of Russia's 40th Separate Marine Brigade of the Pacific Fleet, of killing two unarmed Ukrainian soldiers who had surrendered, in violation of the laws and customs of war.
The case is part of Ukraine's ongoing effort to document Russia's extensive war crimes and punish those responsible.
According to Kravchenko, Ivanov took part in an ambush during fighting in Russia's Kursk Oblast in January 2025. During a patrol, Russian troops stopped two Ukrainian soldiers. The Ukrainians laid down their arms, raised their hands, and surrendered.
Despite this, Ivanov opened fire on the unarmed prisoners. Both Ukrainian soldiers were killed at the scene.
The court ruled that there was no military necessity to use force against prisoners who did not resist and sentenced Ivanov to life in prison. The court also ordered him to pay 50 million hryvnias ($1.3 million) in moral damages to the victim's family.
Russia stalls once again as Ukraine pushes for new February peace talks
Ukraine aims to hold another round of peace talks in February, while the Kremlin cast doubt on the timeline, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov saying on Feb. 20 he "can't confirm" the meeting.
The uncertainty follows the latest round of U.S.-mediated negotiations in Geneva on Feb. 17–18, which ended without a political breakthrough on territory or a ceasefire.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Dmytro Lytvyn said Kyiv is pushing to reconvene talks soon, noting that President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to meet with Ukraine's negotiating team on Feb. 20.
"We hope that (negotiating teams) will be able to meet again in February," Lytvyn told reporters. "But it is clear that this depends not only on Ukraine."
Peskov struck a more cautious tone during a briefing earlier the same day when asked whether another round of negotiations would take place this month.
"No, I can't confirm that," he said. "Once an agreement is reached, we will inform you."
Russia's chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, described the Geneva talks as "difficult but practical" on Feb. 18, adding that the next round could take place "soon." Zelensky also indicated that future discussions are expected to continue in Geneva.
"We agreed to continue and move forward," Zelensky said on Feb. 18.
If held, the upcoming meeting would mark the fourth round of negotiations since January, following multiple sessions that have failed to produce a breakthrough.
