SBU Nabs 2 Zaporizhzhia Teenagers Accused of Moscow-Backed Assassination Plot

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported the arrest of two teenagers suspected of plotting to assassinate four Ukrainian servicemen in southern Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia on Thursday. The national police arrested the two based on intelligence from the SBU’s counterintelligence directorate, the agency said in a Thursday update.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The SBU alleges that two local men, aged 18 and 19, had been recruited by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) via a Telegram post that offered an “easy way to make money.” They reportedly carried out arson attacks on servicemen’s vehicles on their handler’s orders initially. Having apparently passed this “test,” they were then said to be tasked with eliminating Ukrainian soldiers by posing as young women to arrange a series of meetings through dating sites, intending to ambush the servicemen when they turned up at each of the meeting places. The SBU reported that one of the assassins was directed to carry out the killings using a knife while the other was tasked to film the hit on a mobile phone and forward the footage to the FSB handler as “proof” of their success. In preparation for the attack, the suspects were told to purchase a hunting knife, changes of clothing, and rubber gloves. They were also instructed to dispose of these items after the first murder and purchase a new “set” for each killing. Other Topics of Interest Last-Minute Push for Russia Sanctions Bill From hallway conversations to emotional appeals, Ukrainian advocates reveal what happened behind the scenes as Congress prepared a Russia sanctions vote. The SBU report does not specify when the incidents occurred, but according to the UNN news site, the arrests took place on Sept. 10 when the suspects were apprehended as they carried out reconnaissance of an intended ambush site. During the follow-up searches of the suspects’ accommodation, smartphones which contained messages from their FSB handler were seized along with a combat knife, a live hand grenade and a gas pistol with ammunition, the SBU said. The two young men have been charged with high treason and conspiracy under martial law under Ukraine’s Criminal Code. If found guilty, they face life imprisonment along with confiscation of property According to the SBU report, the head of the SBU, Major General Oleksandr Poklad, directly coordinated the operation. 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.