Ukraine on Tuesday claimed that it has foiled a Russian plot to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other top military and political figures.
Two colonels in the State Guard of Ukraine were detained on suspicion of enacting the plan drawn up by Russia's Federal Security Service, a statement said.
The arrested colonels were recruited before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The head of the State Security Service, Vasyl Maliuk said that the plot foresaw an attack ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's inauguration for a fifth term on Tuesday. Maliuk said he personally oversaw the top-secret operation to track the plot.
However, Ukraine said that it is not the first attempt by Russia to kill Zelenskyy. In 2022, there has been at least 10 attempts to assassinate him as the war with Russia stretches into a third year, said Zelenskyy.
The Ukrainian statement said the Russian intelligence agents targeting Zelenskyy sought out members of the Ukrainian military close to the president's security detail who could take the head of state hostage and later kill him. The operation was run from Moscow, it said, providing the names of three alleged Russian spies behind the conspiracy.
The broader plan was to identify the location of senior Ukrainian officials and target them with a rocket attack, followed by drones and missiles.
The two Ukrainian colonels were arrested on suspicion of treason, which carries a life sentence, the statement said.
(With agency inputs)
