SSU eliminated killer and detained Russian agents who were planning murders of Sternenko and RDK fighter Bogdanov. VIDEO+PHOTOS
The Security Service of Ukraine carried out a large-scale special operation, as a result of which it eliminated a killer working for Russian military intelligence and detained his accomplices.
According to Censor.NET, this was reported by the SSU.
According to the security service, an agent-combat group acting on orders from the Russian GRU and preparing a series of high-profile murders on Ukrainian territory has been neutralised.
Plotting the assassination of prominent figures
The investigation established that the suspects were planning the murders of public figures and military personnel in various regions of Ukraine. Among the potential targets were Serhii Sternenko, an adviser to the Minister of Defence and a volunteer, as well as Ilya Bogdanov – a Russian who has been fighting on the side of Ukraine since 2014.
Members of the group tracked the addresses and movements of their victims, passing the information gathered to the network’s leader. He turned out to be a forensic expert from Poltava, recruited by Russian intelligence.
The killer acted on direct orders from the Russian Federation
According to the SSU, the killer was a militant from the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk Oblast who had undergone special training at a GRU base in Russia.
He was tasked with making homemade explosive devices and planting them under cars or near the victims’ homes. If the explosion failed, he was to shoot people at point-blank range.
During his arrest, the hitman offered armed resistance, as a result of which he was neutralised.
A large-scale network and evidence
As part of the special operation, law enforcement officers detained over 10 members of the spy network. During searches, weapons, ammunition, equipment and video surveillance devices were seized from them, confirming their collaboration with Russian special services.
The success of the operation was made possible by the infiltration of the network and the work of counter-intelligence, particularly in the Poltava region and the temporarily occupied territories.
What the suspects face
The detainees have already been notified of charges under a number of articles, including high treason, collaboration, preparation of a terrorist attack and illegal handling of weapons.
Currently, all those involved are in custody without the right to bail. They face life imprisonment with confiscation of property.
