Ukraine foils alleged Russian plot to assassinate kickboxing federation president

Key facts

• Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) foiled an alleged Russian FSB-linked plot to assassinate Akhmad Akhmedov, president of Ukraine's K-1 kickboxing federation.
• The SBU stated the target was a Russian opposition figure who had fought for Ukraine since 2022.
• The suspect, a 30-year-old resident of Russian-occupied Melitopol, was detained while allegedly conducting reconnaissance.
• The suspect reportedly underwent training at an FSB facility.
• The suspect faces life imprisonment if convicted.

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) announced on September 22 that it had foiled an alleged plot by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) to assassinate Akhmad Akhmedov, president of Ukraine's K-1 kickboxing federation. The SBU stated that the intended target was a Russian opposition figure who had been fighting for Ukraine since 2022. According to the SBU, the suspect planned to shoot Akhmedov near a Kyiv sports facility where he works as a coach.

The SBU reported that the suspect, a 30-year-old resident of Russian-occupied Melitopol, was detained while allegedly conducting reconnaissance near the sports complex. The agency stated that the woman entered Ukrainian-controlled territory through Belarus in August 2026 and was recruited by Russian intelligence in exchange for closing a criminal case related to illegal drug possession. She reportedly underwent training at an FSB facility before being sent to Kyiv.

This case is part of a broader trend of investigations into Russian-linked plots targeting Ukrainian officials and public figures since the full-scale invasion. In August, Polish authorities arrested a Russian national accused of planning to kill a U.S.-Ukrainian dual citizen in Warsaw. In June, Ukrainian law enforcement detained a man accused of planning to assassinate Andrii Yusov, spokesperson for Ukraine’s military intelligence.