Key facts
- Ukraine's SBU and National Police thwarted an FSB plot to assassinate a defense company head in Kyiv.
- The suspected assassin, a 63-year-old pensioner, was apprehended in Poland while attempting to flee to Russia.
- An improvised explosive device containing 1 kg of hexogen was discovered and neutralized.
- The suspect received instructions from Russian handlers and assembled the bomb.
- Ukraine has requested the suspect's extradition from Poland.
Ukraine's security services have successfully thwarted a plot by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) to assassinate the head of a defense company in Kyiv. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the National Police announced on August 26 that they had neutralized an assassination attempt involving a car bomb.
The suspected assassin, identified as a 63-year-old pensioner who relocated to Kyiv from Luhansk Oblast, was reportedly tasked with placing explosives beneath the driver's seat of the victim's vehicle. The SBU stated that the explosive device, containing 1 kg of hexogen (equivalent to approximately 2 kg of TNT), was discovered and disarmed in advance.
According to the SBU, the suspect received instructions from his Russian handlers. He acquired two mobile phones and a power bank, retrieved bomb components from a cache, and assembled the improvised explosive device, attaching it to the victim's car. He also positioned a camouflaged mobile phone nearby to provide his handlers with a live feed for detonation.
Following the placement of the device, the perpetrator reportedly traveled by coach to Poland with the intention of fleeing to Russia. Polish authorities apprehended the suspect as he attempted to transit through Poland and Belarus. The SBU has submitted a request to Polish law enforcement for the detainee's extradition to Ukraine, where he has been notified in absentia of charges related to an attempted terrorist act.
Russia has a history of recruiting Ukrainian citizens for intelligence gathering, coordinating attacks, and facilitating assassinations, often employing financial incentives, coercion, or blackmail.