The Times: Putin ordered "Wagner" mercenaries to assassinate the President of Ukraine and 23 government figures
The British newspaper, "The Times", reported that 400 elements of the Russian "Wagner" mercenaries are in Kyiv with the aim of assassinating President Volodymyr Zelensky, in preparation for Moscow's control of Ukraine.
The newspaper reported that Wagner elements had orders from President Vladimir Putin to liquidate Zelensky and 23 other government figures to allow Moscow to take control of its eastern European neighbor.
The mercenaries are waiting for a signal from the Kremlin, promising huge rewards for the killings in the next few days and a safe passage out of Ukraine before the end of the week.
And on Saturday, the information of the Russian plan was leaked to the Ukrainian government, which prompted Kyiv to announce a “strict” curfew for 36 hours in search of Russian mercenaries, according to the sources of the London newspaper, which followed that the Ukrainian authorities warned the residents not to go out so as not to risk their lives, as the violators will be considered as Kremlin clients.
A source familiar with the activities of the "Wagner Group" told the "Times" newspaper that between 2,000 and 4,000 mercenaries had already arrived in Ukraine last January, with some spreading in the separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, while 400 others entered from Belarus and made their way to the capital.
A day before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, two senior European security officials told The New York Times that Russian mercenaries with experience fighting in Syria and Libya had secretly infiltrated the breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine.
According to one of the officials, Western intelligence services tracked them as they left Libya and Syria and reached the Crimea, and from there infiltrated the separatist areas, according to the New York Times.
Wagner fighters gained military experience in Middle Eastern wars and served as security advisors to various governments, including the Central African Republic, Sudan, and finally Mali.
Although they are closely linked to the Russian military, they operate remotely, which has allowed the Kremlin to deny responsibility for them, according to the New York Times.
On February 14, three senior Western security sources told Reuters that mercenaries linked to the Russian security and intelligence services had reinforced their presence in Ukraine in recent weeks, raising concerns among some NATO members that Russia might try to find a pretext for an invasion.
They stated that their fears have increased in recent weeks, that the Russian incursion into Ukraine could be preceded by information warfare and cyber attacks on vital infrastructure such as electricity and gas networks, according to what "Reuters" quoted.
The sources added that Russia may use mercenaries to sow discord and paralyze Ukraine, through targeted assassinations and the use of specialized weapons, as the mercenaries are affiliated with private Russian military companies with close ties to the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Military Intelligence Agency (GRU).
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