Assassination Attempt By Ukraine’s SBU On Head Of Crimea Foiled By Russia’s FSB

Members of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) prevented a suspected assassination attempt on the life of Sergei Aksyonov, the head of Crimea.

The detention of a suspect recently was reported in a statement by the FSB’s Centre for Public Relations. It accused Ukraine’s security services (SBU) of recruiting the would-be assassin, according to gazeta.ru.

According to the FSB: ‘A citizen of Russia, born in 1988, who was recruited by the SBU, was detained. He took a course in reconnaissance and subversion, including training in mine-explosive work, on the territory of Ukraine’.

The suspect was observed entering Crimea in June

An SBU officer was monitored arriving on the territory of Crimea in June. He was placed under surveillance on suspicion of preparing an assassination attempt, in which it was believed he planned to blow up the car of the head of the Republic.

He did not have time to ‘bring the criminal intent to the end’, the security force explained, because he was detained when he tried to take the explosive device from its hiding place.

The suspect confessed to the crime under interrogation

The suspect was subsequently taken into custody, where he confessed to his deed. Criminal cases were initiated against him under several articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, reported TASS.

‘I was recruited by the special services of Ukraine by curator Igor. After that, I took the call sign ‘Karate’. I received an assignment to go to Simferopol’, the suspect allegedly told his captors while under interrogation.

He continued: ‘I was waiting for the address where the car was to be delivered to me in order to plant a mine so that later this car could be put on Sevastopolskaya Street to blow up Aksenov’s motorcade’.

The FSB arrested seven other suspects in Crimea in May

In early May, the FSB announced the suppression in Crimea of ​​the activities of the intelligence network of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.

It accused several participants of planning a series of terrorist attacks. In particular, they were suspected of preparing assassination attempts on Aksyonov.

They were also thought to have the intention of targeting Vladimir Konstantinov, the speaker of the Crimean parliament, and Yanina Pavlenko, the mayor of Yalta. As a result, seven people were arrested by the FSB.

Sergei Aksenov resolved to continue and not be intimidated

Aksyonov thanked the FSB personally for preventing the assassination attempt and expressed his confidence that the conspirators would all be found.

According to him, what happened testifies to the correctness of his actions, and he intends to stick to his chosen path. ‘The enemies understand that in a different way with people like me, they will not resolve the issue. Therefore, the challenge is accepted’, the official said.

Aksenov was the leader of the all-Ukrainian party ‘Russian Unity’

Sergei Aksenov is 50 years old, born in 1972 in Balti, Moldavian SSR. He has been the head of Crimea since October 9, 2014.

From 2008 to 2014, Aksyonov was the leader of the all-Ukrainian party ‘Russian Unity’. Prior to the internationally unrecognised reunification of Crimea with Russia, Aksyonov was a deputy of the regional Supreme Council between 2010 and 2014. In February 2014 he became chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Republic.

Aksyonov is currently under international sanctions from all countries of the European Union, the United States, Great Britain and a number of other states, for violating the ‘territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine’.