SBU Thwarts Hit Series: Assassin Eliminated, Over a Dozen Russian Agents Arrested.

Ukraine’s Security Service Disrupts Contract Killing Plot

According to TSN.ua: Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has prevented an attempt by Russian intelligence to carry out a string of targeted assassinations on Ukrainian soil. During the operation, authorities neutralized a hitman and detained more than ten members of a combat-agent cell coordinated by Russia’s GRU military intelligence.

According to investigators, the intended targets included:

• Serhiy Sternenko, an advisor to Ukraine’s Minister of Defense;
• Ilya Bogdanov, a Russian national.

Bogdanov, born in 1988 in Vladivostok, acquired Ukrainian citizenship in 2015. The perpetrator planned to use improvised explosive devices to carry out his criminal objectives.

All detained individuals have been charged under multiple articles of Ukraine’s Criminal Code and are being held in custody without the possibility of bail. If convicted, they face life imprisonment with asset forfeiture.

'I thank the SBU. I am fine—unlike the hitman. Russia must burn.' Serhiy Sternenko

This incident highlights the ongoing efforts by Russian intelligence to destabilize Ukraine through violent acts. The SBU’s swift operation underscores its commitment to countering such threats and protecting citizens. This successful mission also sends a strong signal to Russian operatives inside Ukraine, demonstrating the readiness of Ukrainian law enforcement to actively confront external dangers.

A Major Step in Countering Aggression

The SBU’s operation marks a significant milestone in the fight against Russian aggression and the activities of its intelligence services, which continue to seek ways to destabilize the situation in Ukraine.