Ukraine says it foiled Russian-linked assassination plot in Odesa PHOTO

Ukraine’s Security Service said it has foiled an attempt to assassinate a senior officer in the Ukrainian Navy and detained a suspected Russian agent during a special operation in the southern port city of Odesa.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said the suspect, a 37-year-old man from a Balkan country, was caught “in the act” while preparing to attack an officer of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

According to the SBU, the suspect had positioned himself near the exit of a residential complex where the naval officer lived, carrying a pistol and two loaded magazines. He allegedly posed as a cyclist carrying out repairs, and was wearing a balaclava as he waited for the officer’s vehicle.

When the car approached the exit, the suspect threw a bicycle under its wheels in an apparent attempt to stop it and opened fire on the driver, the agency said. He was immediately detained by counterintelligence officers and members of the Alpha special forces unit, who had been monitoring him for some time.

The SBU said the man was recruited by Russian intelligence services and entered Ukraine in February posing as a tourist. He later travelled to Odesa to carry out the mission, it added.

Investigators said the suspect received coordinates from his handler in Russia to collect a weapon fitted with a silencer and ammunition. He is also believed to have tracked the officer’s movements and coordinated his actions with his handler, frequently changing rented accommodation and hotel locations to avoid detection.

The suspect is in custody and faces up to 12 years in prison if convicted, according to the SBU.

By Aghakazim Guliyev