Law enforcement apprehends ex-soldier plotting to kill HUR official
38-year-old Kyiv resident was planning on assassinating a HUR official using an FPV-drone (Photo: Ukraine National Police)
Law enforcement officers have exposed and detained a Russian intelligence operative plotting to assassinate Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) spokesperson Andrii Yusov, the Prosecutor General's Office reported on June 8.
Investigations revealed that Russian intelligence agencies recruited a 38-year-old Kyiv resident and former military serviceman with combat experience to assassinate a HUR official. The suspect was promised $100,000 for the hit and received a $10,000 advance.
His target was the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War deputy chair Andrii Yusov, according to the Prosecutor General's Office.
The suspect meticulously studied the official's daily schedule, residence, vehicles, and surrounding infrastructure ahead of the planned strike.
After gathering intelligence, the suspect planned to execute the assassination using an FPV drone and began searching for a skilled operator to carry out the hit, according to the National Police.
Investigators revealed that the suspects used construction-themed code to hide their clandestine communications: they called the murder “construction work”, the client a “foreman”, the assassin a “worker” or “builder”, and the murder weapon a “tool” or “cement”.
Police officers detained the suspect and seized his mobile phones, GPS tracker, car, and other evidence.
He has been charged with conspiracy to commit premeditated murder under Part 2 of Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which carries a penalty of 10 to 15 years or life imprisonment.
The military war may be swinging in our favor, but the information war continues.
Just as an army needs soldiers, so does a free society need its journalists to ensure that people have access to honest, trustworthy voices to understand the world around them.
For the past five years, The New Voice of Ukraine has been working tirelessly to push back against Russian narratives and defend democracy. But we cannot do it alone.
Please consider supporting us on Patreon for just $5 a month – your donation does directly to supporting journalists and ensuring that this front of the infowar says solid and defended.
Thank you.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
