Ukrainian Security Service Thwarts Assassination Plot Against Naval Officer, Arrests Balkan Hitman

Ukrainian Security Service Prevents Contract Killing

According to Главком: The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has successfully prevented a contract killing targeting a high-ranking officer of the Ukrainian Naval Forces. A 37-year-old citizen of a Balkan country, who was recruited by Russian intelligence services to carry out a terrorist act, has been detained. He has been formally charged under Part 2 of Article 15 and Part 2 of Article 258 of Ukraine's Criminal Code, which pertains to a completed attempt to commit a terrorist act.

Assassination Plot Details

According to the investigation, the foreign national arrived in Kyiv in February 2026 under the guise of a tourist before traveling to Odesa. In the port city, the agent received coordinates from his Russian handler to a cache, where he retrieved a pistol with a silencer and ammunition. He then began tracking the officer's primary locations and movement routes. To maintain his cover, the suspect frequently changed addresses between rented apartments and hotel rooms.

SBU investigators reported that on the day of the planned attack, the hitman, armed with the pistol and two loaded magazines, took up a position near the exit of the residential complex where the officer lived. Disguised in a balaclava and pretending to repair a bicycle, he waited for the serviceman's vehicle to appear. As the car approached the exit, the agent threw the bicycle under its wheels and attempted to open fire on the driver.

This incident highlights the persistent threat of Russian covert operations aimed at destabilizing Ukraine by targeting key military and civilian figures. The suspect is now in custody and faces up to 12 years in prison. Separately, the Prosecutor General's Office and the SBU also thwarted a planned terrorist attack in Kyiv orchestrated by Russia's FSB, which was intended to target a leader of the Federation of Employers. The perpetrator for that attack was to be a Ukrainian citizen from the temporarily occupied part of Donetsk region, who was recruited in the autumn of 2025.

This incident underscores the activity of Russian intelligence services in attempts to destabilize the situation in Ukraine, including through terrorist acts against military and public figures.

The detention of the suspect and the prevention of these attacks demonstrate the ongoing efforts of Ukrainian law enforcement in combating terrorism. Such events can have significant implications for regional security and point to the necessity of enhanced cooperation between special services to counter these threats.

This incident is part of a larger pattern of attempts to undermine stability in Ukraine, as evidenced by a recent foiled plot targeting a prominent business figure in Kyiv. Such operations reveal the ongoing threats posed by foreign intelligence agencies, further emphasizing the need for vigilance. For more details on this alarming trend of targeted attacks, see our coverage of a similar incident involving the FSB's plans against a business leader in the capital here.