Kyiv, Ukraine – In a joint security and intelligence operation, Ukrainian and Moldovan authorities announced the dismantling of an “organized group” that was planning to carry out assassinations targeting public figures
and senior officials, at the behest and with the funding of Russian security services.
Details of the joint security operation
Ukrainian Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko announced in an official statement that
a joint investigation team had successfully uncovered a plot targeting “well-known Ukrainian and foreign citizens.”
The operation resulted in the arrest of 10 suspects (7 in Ukraine and 3 in Moldova),
including the group’s coordinator. Large sums of money, weapons, explosives,
and sophisticated communication devices used to contact “handlers” inside Russia were seized.
For its part, the Moldovan police confirmed that the investigation had established plans
for the “physical elimination” of several individuals, indicating the direct involvement of Russian intelligence in directing these operations.
Motivations behind the scheme and the rewards offered
According to official data, the Russian side enticed the perpetrators with lucrative financial rewards.
“The Russian side promised the perpetrators rewards of up to $100,000 per operation, depending on the victim’s fame and political or military influence.”
Although the exact list of targets has not been disclosed, Kyiv has cited previous attempts targeting President Volodymyr Zelensky
and the head of military intelligence, accusations that Moscow consistently denies, accusing Ukraine of targeting its officers in turn.
These developments highlight the growing security coordination between Kyiv and Chisinau in the face of shared threats, and amid concerns about the expanding reach of Russian intelligence activity in countries such as Poland and Lithuania.
