Ukraine says it foiled a Russian spy agency plot to assassinate President Zelenskyy

By ILLIA NOVIKOV
Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian counterintelligence investigators say they have foiled a Russian plot to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other top military and political figures. A statement Tuesday from Ukraine’s state security service says Two colonels in the State Guard of Ukraine, which protects top officials, were detained on suspicion of enacting the plan drawn up by Russia’s Federal Security Service. It quoted the head of the State Security Service, Vasyl Maliuk, as saying the scheme foresaw an attack ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inauguration for a fifth term in power Tuesday. Ukrainian claims of Russian efforts to kill Zelenskyy are not new. Zelensky said in 2022 there has been at least 10 attempts to assassinate him as the war with Russia stretches into a third year.