Photo: picture-alliance/dpa/Sputnik/Stringer
Ukrainian and Moldovan law enforcement agencies have stopped the activities of a group led by Russian special services, which aimed to physically eliminate prominent figures. According to Ukrainian Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, the criminals were promised a reward of up to 100 thousand US dollars for the execution of each "order."
The militants operated under the guise of a courier
Among the 10 detained suspects (7 in Ukraine, 3 in Moldova) was the leader of the group - a 34-year-old Moldovan citizen who had previously served a prison sentence in Russia. Members of the criminal group entered Ukraine as tourists and pursued potential victims, pretending to be "delivery service" employees.
They marked the living and recreation locations of the targets through Google Maps and regularly reported to their curators in Russia. During more than 20 searches conducted during operational activities, a large number of weapons, explosives, and communication devices were seized.
Who was at the target?
It turned out that Russian intelligence selected the most well-known individuals to instill fear and panic in the public:
- Dmitry Gordon - a well-known journalist (he has been assassinated several times before);
- Andrey Yusov - representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine;
- Heads of strategic state enterprises and military personnel of the GUR "Foreign Legion."
Goal: Social explosion and chaos
Ukrainian Interior Minister Igor Klimenko stated that the group had already completed all preparations and was only waiting for the final "destruction" order. The main goal of the assassination attempts was to create a negative impression of the security system in Ukraine and create chaos within the country.
Currently, cases of serious crimes have been initiated against all detained persons, and investigative actions are ongoing.
In your opinion, how important is the vigilance of ordinary citizens in the fight against such underground agency networks?
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