Pictured: “Russian spy” arrested for “plotting to assassinate Ukrainian President Zelenskyy by airstrike.”
A suspected Russian spy has been arrested after a plot to assassinate Ukraine’s president by airstrike emerged.
Official sources in Kyiv said the woman was caught “in the act” trying to relay Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s travel plans to the Kremlin.
It was intercepted the night before his scheduled visit to Mykolaiv province in southern Ukraine. If found guilty of espionage, she faces up to 12 years in prison.
Based on the inside information she received, Russia apparently intended to launch a precision missile with the aim of killing Mr. Zelenskyy.
Since the conflict began last year, he has survived at least 12 assassination attempts, some of which have been identified in advance by Western intelligence agencies.
The woman (centre picture) was arrested by the Ukrainian Security Service (SSU) for an alleged plot to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
President Zelenskyy, pictured at a NATO leaders’ summit in Lithuania in July, has survived 12 assassination attempts since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022
Killing or capturing Mr. Zelenskyy was a priority for Russia in the early days of the invasion when it hoped to install a puppet regime.
He famously declined a US invitation to leave Ukraine for his own safety, saying, “I need ammo, not a ride.”
Since then, other conspiracies between insiders and Chechen mercenaries have surfaced.
Paramilitary group Wagner may also be planning a mission to eliminate Mr Zelenskyy.
The suspected spy is a resident of the fishing town of Ochakiv, which is near where the President planned to visit in July.
She is said to have used her local contacts to inquire about Mr. Zelenskyy’s itinerary.
She also identified ammunition depots, electronic warfare facilities and other Ukrainian military installations.
The woman, who previously worked at a military clothing store, was arrested before the information was handed over.
She remains in custody.
Yesterday, a spokesman for Ukraine’s Security Service, who released footage of the arrest, said: “The SSU caught the traitor red-handed trying to pass intelligence information to the intruders.”
“In order to gather information, the enemy agent drove to the target area and took photos or video footage of Ukrainian facilities.”
Pictured: President Zelenskyy with Ukrainian military personnel during his visit to Ochakiv in the Mykolaiv region last month
Her arrest and court appearance came as Russia continued its airstrikes on Ukrainian cities – albeit with only partial success due to air defense systems provided by the US and Germany.
Russia denies attacks on civilian infrastructure, saying damage to residential areas and medical facilities was due to malfunctions in Ukraine’s defense systems.
Meanwhile, Poland sends another 1,000 troops to the border with Belarus to counter the Wagner threat.
Soldiers from the mercenary group have appeared near the border and could destabilize NATO’s eastern flank.
The number of people who want to enter Poland illegally from Belarus has also increased in recent months.