Ukraine, Moldova foil Russian-linked assassin plot

Ukrainian and Moldovan authorities have carried out a joint operation to dismantle an organized group planning the assassination of prominent Ukrainian and foreign figures, the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine announced.

According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, ten individuals have been detained in connection with the case: seven in Ukraine and three in Moldova, including the alleged organizer. All detainees have been formally notified of criminal suspicions, and motions for their arrest are underway.

Investigators say the group operated under the direction of Russian intelligence services, gathering detailed information on the movements and daily routines of potential targets, planning methods of killing, preparing weapons and escape routes. Sources indicate the Russian handlers promised up to $100,000 per assassination, depending on the status of the victim.

Among those targeted were at least five public figures, including Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.

The operation included more than 20 coordinated searches across multiple regions of Ukraine, resulting in the seizure of weapons, ammunition, explosives, electronic devices, and evidence of contacts with foreign handlers. In Moldova, authorities also detained the organizer and two accomplices. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing.

Earlier reports noted that Moldovan police, in coordination with Ukrainian law enforcement, had been conducting the case as part of an international investigative task force.

By Vafa Guliyeva