Zelensky's murder was planned: Putin's inauguration gift disrupted by the SBU

The SBU has foiled plans of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) to liquidate the Ukrainian president and other members of Ukraine's top military and political leadership. Two colonels of the State Protection Directorate of Ukraine (SPD) have been detained. This is reported by the SBU.

The murder was to be realised by an agent network, which was exposed by the SBU. The network included two colonels of the UGO, who passed secret information to the Russian Federation.

One of the tasks of the FSB agent network was to find executors among the military close to the President's guards, who could take him hostage and then kill him.

In addition to Vladimir Zelensky, the enemy planned to liquidate the head of the SBU Vasyl Malyuk, the head of the GUR Kirill Budanov and other high-ranking officials. The enemies were going to liquidate Budanov before Easter.

The enemy's plan was as follows: first, the recruited agent was to observe the movement of the person under guard and pass information to the enemy. At the coordinates of the house where the official was supposed to be, it was planned to launch a missile strike. Then they were going to attack with a drone the people who remained at the site of the strike. After that, the Russians planned to hit with another missile, including to destroy traces of the use of the drone," the SBU said.

The armament was provided by a UGO colonel who personally brought FPV drones, RPG-7 charges, and MON-90 anti-personnel mines to Kyiv.

The SBU recorded both the trips of the UGO colonel for drones and explosives to another region of Ukraine and conversations between the potential perpetrator of the terrorist attack and his "handler" from the FSB.

The SBU documented the criminal actions of the agents and detained them.

A limited number of people knew about our special operation, and I personally controlled its progress. The terrorist attack, which was supposed to be a gift to Putin for his inauguration, was in fact a failure of the Russian security service. But we must not forget that the enemy is strong and experienced and must not be underestimated. We will continue to work proactively to ensure that every traitor receives deserved court sentences," SBU chief Vasyl Malyuk said.

During the searches, appropriate means of defence and other evidence of criminal activity were found and seized.

Enemy agents have been notified of suspicion under the following articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:

• ч. 2 Art. 111 (high treason committed under martial law);
• ч. article 14, part 1, article 258, part 2 (preparation for a terrorist act).

The suspects have been remanded in custody and face life imprisonment.