Ukraine foils Russian plot to infiltrate Zelensky’s security detail to assassinate him in explosion
Ukraine’s counterintelligence service reportedly foiled a Russian plot to infiltrate President Volodymyr Zelensky’s security team and assassinate him in an explosion — just in time for Vladimir Putin’s fifth inauguration as the president of Russia.
Russian intelligence agents wer🦂e caught targeting members of Zelensky’s security details in the hopes of 🔜taking him hostage and later killing him, the SBU State Security Service said Tuesday.
Two colonels in the State Guard of Ukra💖ine – which guards the president and other government leaders – were detained on suspicion of lea🌄king information to Russia’s Federal Security Service, the agency said.
The two colonels had been recruit🤪ed before Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the statement noted.
They a🌃re both fa꧃cing charges of treason, which carries a life sentence.
The plot – whꩵich was run out of Moscow – supposedly entailed an attack before Putin’s fifth inauguration on Tuesday, State Security Service head Vasyl Maliuk added.
In addition to kidnapping and assassinating Zelensky, the conspirators also hoped to identify several senior Ukrainian officials and target them in a rocket attᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚack, as well as drones and missiles.
Zelensky, 46, previously claimed that thereﷺ had been at least 10 attempts on his life since the Ukraine war start💮ed.
Meanwhile, Putin’s inauguration at the Grand Kremlin Palace went ahead as planned Tuesday – us🌊hering in another six years of his iron-fisted authority.
During the ceremony, th𝄹e 71-year-old vowed to defend the Russian Constitution while 2,500 dignitaries looked on.
“We are a united and great people and together we will overcome all obstacl✅es, realize all our plans, together we will win,” he 𓃲said after being sworn in.
Putin also thanked the “heroes” of Russia’s ongoing campaign in Ukraine, and slammed the 𓆉West for “trying to contain Russia.”
Excluding a brief period from 2008 through 2012, Putin has been the pres⛎ident of Russia sin🐻ce 1999.
He is the longest-serving Kremlin leader since Josef Stalin – and will be e🐬ligiඣble for reelection when his fifth term expires in 2030.
With Post wires