Ukraine's Zelenskyy survived 3 assassination bids after tip-off from anti-war Russian spies?
By Team Newsable | First Published Mar 4, 2022, 4:55 PM ISTAccording to a report in The Times, the plots to kill the Ukrainian President were foiled by the country's officials after being alerted by anti-war elements within Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB).
Since the Russian invasion began last week, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reportedly survived three assassination attempts. According to a report in The Times, the plots to kill the Ukrainian President were foiled by the country's officials after being alerted by anti-war elements within Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB).
The report added that mercenaries from the Kremlin-backed Wagner group and Chechen special forces were allegedly sent to kill the Ukrainian President.
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The report said that the FSB tipped off Ukraine about a Chechen hit squad sent to kill President Zelenskyy before the assassins were 'neutralised'.
On Thursday, Ukraine Secretary of National Security and Defense, Oleksiy Danilov, confirmed the three assassination attempts and told local press that he had received information from the double agents 'who do not want to take part in this bloody war.'
One of the groups that reportedly tried to kill the 44-year-old President was the Wagner Group which has 400 members located in the capital Kyiv as members infiltrated the country with a 24-name 'kill list'. If the assassination attempt was successful, Russian President Vladimir Putin would have been able to deny any involvement.
"They would be going in there with a very high-profile mission, something that the Russians would want to be deniable — a decapitation of a head of state is a huge mission," a source told the Times.
"In terms of the impact on Russian sovereign policy, this would be perhaps their biggest mission so far. It would have a major impact on the war," the source added.
The army-for-hire, run by oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin - a close ally of Putin - was reportedly flown in five weeks ago and was offered a huge sum for the mission.
Also read: Ukraine war: Shakhtar Donetsk youth team coach 'killed by Russian bullet'
A few days ago, the highly-trained operatives were reportedly waiting for a go-ahead from the Kremlin to attack, with their hit list also including Ukraine's prime minister, the entire cabinet, mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko and his brother Wladimir - both boxing champions, who have become iconic for their effort on the front lines of the capital.
The report added that the plot to kill Zelenskyy was sabotaged after they reached the upper echelons of the Ukrainian government on Saturday, prompting Kyiv to declare a 36-hour 'hard' curfew so that soldiers could sweep the streets for Russian ravagers.
Citizens were reportedly warned about the risk of being 'liquidated' if they lurked around outside during the curfew hours, as they may be assumed to be the assassin.
Quoting a source with knowledge of the Wagner Group's activities, the Times report added that between 2,000 and 4,000 mercenaries arrived in Ukraine in January, but with different missions. The group reportedly track Zelesnkyy and his colleagues via their mobile phones - claiming to know where they are at all times.
Meanwhile, Fox News had reported that a Chechen hit squad also attempted to assassinate Zelenskyy on March 1 after the Secretary of National Security and Defense said they encountered two death squads.
Also read: Russia seizes Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, fire ‘extinguished’
News of the assassination bids has not seemed to faze Zelenskyy, who admitted during an address to the nation that he was 'target number one', telling them Russian special forces were hunting him.
When the United States offered to extract Zelenskyy, he told President Joe Biden, "I need ammunition, not a ride."
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