Another attempt to assassinate Zelenskyy foiled: the assassination attempt in Poland was prepared by a recruited military pensioner
23 June 21:37
The Security Service of Ukraine, together with Polish law enforcement officers, prevented another attempt on the life of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This was announced by SBU Head Vasyl Malyuk, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
According to him, the assassination attempt was prepared by a military retiree from Poland, who was recruited by Russian special services decades ago because of his devotion to Soviet ideology. Moscow “activated” him with the aim of physically eliminating Zelenskyy during his stay at the Rzeszow airport.
The attack scenarios involved the use of an FPV drone or sniper system.
“We worked in a coordinated and professional manner. Polish partners were on top of their game,” Malyuk said.
This is not the first attempted assassination attempt. Last year, the SBU exposed two colonels of the State Protection Department of Ukraine who worked for the FSB and planned to assassinate the president. According to Malyuk, the Russians intended to carry out the attack when Zelenskyy was passing through the Presidential Office.
A group of agents also prepared assassination attempts on the head of the GUR, Kirill Budanov, and Malyuk himself.
“It was a complex, long-term special operation that involved deep agent and technical penetration into the enemy’s environment,” the SBU chief emphasized.
After the operation failed, the head of the FSB’s 5th Service, Sergei Beseda, who oversaw the plot, was suspended by order of Putin.
What is known about the attempts on Zelensky’s life
1. The beginning of the full-scale invasion (February-March 2022)
- In the first weeks of the invasion of Ukraine , Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups (SRGs) tried to break into the government quarter in Kyiv.
- Dozens of attempted assassination attempts were reported by Ukrainian special services and Western media (e.g., The Times).
2. Assassination attempt organized by Wagner (spring 2022)
- According to Ukrainian intelligence, mercenaries of the Wagner PMC were tasked with eliminating Zelenskyy.
- The attempt was foiled thanks to inside information from Russians who did not support the war.
3. Spring 2023 – detention of SBU agents
- Colonels of the State Protection Department who worked for the Russian FSB were detained.
- They were preparing an assassination attempt in Kyiv during Zelenskyy’s move to the Presidential Office.
4. Assassination attempt in Poland (June 2025)
- In Poland, a military pensioner recruited by the FSB was detained, who was supposed to assassinate the president at Rzeszów Airport.
- The plan was to use an FPV drone or sniper weapon.
5. Parallel plans for assassination attempts on Zelensky, Budanov, and Malyuk (discovered in 2024-2025)
- According to SBU Head Vasyl Malyuk, Russian agents were simultaneously preparing attacks on the heads of Ukrainian special services, including the president.
- These plans were discovered as a result of deep penetration into Russian intelligence networks.
In total, according to Ukrainian officials, the number of attempts and preparations for assassination attempts on Zelensky may exceed 10, but not all of them have been publicly confirmed.
