Key facts
- Khartiia Brigade Commander Ihor Obolienskyi survived an assassination attempt.
- President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the incident and stated the attacker was detained.
- The alleged attacker was reportedly recruited by Russian special services.
- A Makarov pistol and ammunition were seized from the suspect.
- Legal proceedings are underway against the detained suspect.
An assassination attempt against Khartiia Brigade Commander Ihor Obolienskyi was thwarted, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on July 31. Zelensky stated that the alleged attacker and his accomplices have been detained and that legal proceedings are underway.
According to reports citing law enforcement sources, a 69-year-old man was detained in Kharkiv. He was allegedly recruited by Russian special services, who posed as SBU officers and convinced him that Obolienskyi was a "traitor." The operatives reportedly sent the suspect an AI-generated image depicting Obolienskyi next to the Kremlin in Russian-symbolic attire.
The suspect reportedly approached Obolienskyi from behind, but his weapon, a Makarov pistol, malfunctioned at the moment of the attack. The pistol and ammunition were seized during his arrest. The detainee stated he received the weapon from an unidentified person in Kharkiv on his handler's instructions.
Law enforcement is working to identify the person who provided the weapon, analyze surveillance footage, and determine if there were accomplices or information leaks regarding Obolienskyi's movements. A criminal case has been initiated.
This incident is part of a pattern of Russian intelligence services recruiting Ukrainian citizens to carry out attacks against military personnel and public figures. Previous attempts this year include a plot to assassinate Andrii Biletskyi, commander of the Third Army Corps, and the dismantling of a Russian intelligence network planning contract killings of figures like Serhii Sternenko and Ilya Bogdanov. Andrii Yusov, an officer with Ukraine's military intelligence agency, has been the target of at least two assassination attempts.