SSU prevents two attempted assassinations of Zelenskyy: security colonels and agent from Poland detained

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Malyuk. Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine

The Security Service of Ukraine has prevented two attempts to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

This was announced by the Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Maliuk during a meeting with journalists.

According to him, one of the special operations concerned two colonels of the State Protection Department, who, according to the investigation, acted in the interests of the Russian Federal Security Service. They were planning an assassination attempt on the President as he was moving through the Presidential Office.

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«Last year, it was very high-profile. The SBU detained a colonel who was the head of the parole department. Together with him, another colonel was detained. They worked for the Russian Federal Security Service, namely the 5th Service. They were planning an assassination attempt on our President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. According to their plan, the perpetrators were to be selected and implemented during his passage through the territory of the Office of the President of Ukraine», Vasyl Maliuk said.

In addition to attempting to assassinate the head of state, the detainees collected intelligence and passed it on to the Russian side. Among the potential targets were Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, and Vasyl Maliuk himself.

The second operation, according to the SBU head, took place with the participation of the Polish Internal Security Agency. As part of the joint investigation, a Polish citizen, a former military man who had been recruited by Soviet intelligence back in Soviet times, was detained. His task was to physically eliminate Zelenskyy at Rzeszów Airport.

«Speaking about the attempts on the life of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, I should mention another operation. And I would like to thank the Polish Internal Security Agency — we have implemented an important criminal proceeding together with them. A Polish military pensioner who had been recruited decades ago sincerely believed in Soviet ideology and had been harbouring his intention for years. This «can of worms» has been activated by the enemy», said Vasyl Maliuk.

He also clarified that various options for the assassination attempt were considered, including the use of an FPV drone or sniper system. The agent was detained thanks to the joint actions of the Polish and Ukrainian special services.

In 2024, the Security Service of Ukraine reported that it had exposed a network of agents of the Russian FSS's 5th Service who were preparing to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, SSU Head Vasyl Maliuk, and intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov.