SBU Foils FSB Plot to Kill Activist on Dog Walk

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said it thwarted an alleged Russian plot to assassinate a prominent civic activist during a morning dog walk in Kyiv region, detaining the suspected hitman on Thursday, Sept. 10.In a Telegram statement, the agency said the operation was conducted under the personal coordination of acting SBU chief Maj. Gen. Oleksandr Poklad.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.The alleged assassin had reportedly tracked the activist’s movements and hourly routine for an extended period before receiving the coordinates of a weapons cache from Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).The suspect retrieved a pistol equipped with a silencer and ammunition from the cache, according to investigators.Under the purported FSB plan, he was to spend the night in a forest near the activist’s home before shooting the target several times from an ambush during a morning walk with their dog.“SBU officers uncovered the enemy plan in advance and detained the hitman in the ambush while he was preparing the assassination attempt,” the agency said.The SBU did not disclose the intended victim’s identity.Three silenced pistols seizedInvestigators identified the suspect as a 19-year-old resident of southern Ukraine’s Mykolaiv who had allegedly been recruited by Russian intelligence through his social media activity.The SBU said the teenager had published posts supporting fascist and Nazi ideology, bringing him to the attention of Russian operatives. Other Topics of Interest Russia Turns to Vietnam for Aircraft as Sanctions Ground Hundreds of Planes Moscow has approached several countries for wet leases as spare-parts shortages leave nearly 20% of major Russian airlines’ fleets grounded. After his alleged recruitment, the FSB sent him to the Kyiv area to carry out what Ukrainian authorities described as a high-profile assassination intended to destabilize the country.During searches, SBU officers seized three pistols with silencers and ammunition, as well as smartphones allegedly containing evidence of communication with the FSB.The agency did not say how long the suspect had monitored the activist or whether he had received payment for the alleged assignment.Suspect faces life imprisonmentInvestigators charged the teenager under three provisions of Ukraine’s Criminal Code: treason committed under martial law, preparation for a contract killing and unlawful possession of weapons and ammunition.He remains in custody and could face life imprisonment with confiscation of property if convicted.The operation was conducted by the SBU’s Mykolaiv regional office under the coordination of its Counterintelligence Department and the procedural supervision of the Mykolaiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.