Russia's FSB claims to thwart Ukrainian military plot to assassinate official in Crimea

An alleged Ukrainian military intelligence plot to assassinate top Russian officials in Crimea has been thwarted by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), according to a statement released on Wednesday. Roman Mashovets — a public figure in Ukraine who serves as an officer of the country's GUR military intelligence agency and deputy head of the office of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — is alleged to have been the ringleader of the group, which was also said to have sabotaged a railway earlier this year, as per a report from RT.

According to the FSB, Roman Mashovets, a close associate of GUR chief Kirill Budanov, had recruited six Russian and Ukrainian citizens to carry out an alleged operation in Crimea. The operation was reportedly aimed at preparing hits on senior officials including the head of the Republic of Crimea, the chair of the region's parliament and the mayor of Yalta, as well as sabotaging transportation infrastructure. The FSB claims that the group had access to a smuggling channel which enabled them to acquire illegal items such as explosives, detonators, tracking devices, and other equipment.

What was seized during the raid?

During the raid, the Russian agency allegedly seized five improvised explosive devices, 6kg of British-made plastic explosives, and other incriminating items. Video of the operation showed several hand grenades reportedly found at one location. The seized explosives reportedly matched those used in a railway sabotage incident that occurred in Bakhchisaray district on February 23rd, disrupting traffic on the peninsula.

The FSB stated that the alleged trafficking route went from Bulgaria, through Turkey and Georgia, involving three Ukrainian nationals and a Bulgarian citizen identified as D. Petranov. He was reportedly arrested in Crimea with the other members of the Ukrainian ring. The smuggled equipment was allegedly hidden in electric cooking stoves, according to the agency. Ukraine for long has claimed that it considers Crimea an integral part of Ukraine and it intends to take it back.