Counterintelligence and investigators from the Security Service of Ukraine have thwarted plans by the FSB to liquidate the President of Ukraine and other top military-political figures of the state.

The plans were to be executed by an undercover network, which was uncovered in advance by the Security Service of Ukraine with the assistance of the leadership of the State Security Department. The network, overseen by the FSB from Moscow, included two colonels of the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, who leaked classified information to Russia.

The enemy actively developed plans to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelensky. One of the tasks of the FSB's undercover network was to find executors among the military personnel close to the President's security detail who could take the Head of State hostage and later kill him.

In addition to Volodymyr Zelensky, the enemy planned to eliminate the Head of the SSU Vasyl Maliuk, the Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate Kyrylo Budanov, and other high-ranking officials.

For example, the liquidation of the Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate Kyrylo Budanov was planned to be carried out before Easter.

The Russian plan was as follows: initially, the recruited agent was supposed to observe the movements of the targeted person under protection and pass information to the enemy. Based on the coordinates of the building where the official was supposed to be located, a missile strike was planned. Then, drones were to attack the people left at the scene of the strike. Afterward, the Russians planned to target another missile, including to destroy the traces of drone usage.

The weapons for the agent were provided by the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence colonel, who personally brought FPV drones, RPG-7 charges, and MON-90 anti-personnel mines to Kyiv. The SBU recorded both the trips of the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence colonel for drones and explosives to another region of Ukraine and the conversations of the potential executor of the terrorist act with the FSB "curator."

The Security Service of Ukraine documented the criminal actions of the defendants step by step and detained them.

"Our special operation was known to a limited circle of persons, and I personally controlled its course. The terrorist act, which was supposed to be a gift to Putin before the inauguration, turned out to be a failure of the Russian special services. But we should not forget - the enemy is strong and experienced, and it should not be underestimated. We will continue to work proactively to ensure that every traitor receives the deserved court sentences," said the Head of the SSU Vasyl Maliuk.

The FSB of the Russian Federation once again confirmed its status as a terrorist organization, as it was the employees of the 9th Department of the Operational Information Department of the 5th Service who oversaw the organization of the terrorist act. These individuals include:

• Maxim Mishustin;
• Dmitry Perlin;
• Alexey Korneyev.

In particular, Perlin in January 2022 became the curator of the "moles" who were recruited before the full-scale invasion by Russia. Prior to that, they were "taken care of" by his colleague Alexey Korneyev.

Before the start of the full-scale war, Korneyev held a series of clandestine meetings with the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence colonel on the territory of neighboring European states. Money was usually transferred to agents abroad.

The criminals' premises were searched, during which the relevant means of impact were found and confiscated, as well as other evidence of criminal activity.

The suspects have been remanded in custody as a preventive measure. The defendants face life imprisonment. The comprehensive actions were carried out under the procedural guidance of the Office of the Prosecutor General.