The British newspaper "The Times" revealed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky survived at least 3 assassination attempts last week, explaining that two different groups were sent to Zelensky, the Russian "Wagner" mercenaries and the Chechen special forces.
She added in a report that the attempts of Wagner mercenaries and Chechen forces were thwarted after information against the war in Ukraine within the Russian National Security Service (FSB). about their moves to assassinate him.
The British newspaper quoted a source close to Wagner as saying that the knowledge of Zelensky's security team appeared "frightening".
Last Saturday, the Ukrainian authorities thwarted an attempt to assassinate the president in the outskirts of the capital, Kyiv, and security officials said that a group of Chechen "murderers" had been eliminated before they could reach Zelensky.
Russian customers
Ukraine's National Security Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov told local TV channels that Russian agents informed Kyiv of plans to assassinate the president. her neighbour.
#Urgent: A failed assassination attempt thwarted by the #Ukrainian intelligence targeting President #Zelensky, and the group that tried to assassinate the president was from #Chechnya and they were completely eliminated.
— Mohamed Khair Kanjo (@lgqhs81) March 2, 2022
This Chechen special group operates under the leadership of President Ramzan Kadyrov.
The Times reports that Wagner's mercenaries were not aware of the presence of Chechen killers with the same mission, which is to liquidate the head of the Ukrainian state, but Wagner elements made their attempts after infiltrating Kyiv more than 6 weeks ago, and they tracked the activities of 24 high-ranking Ukrainian figures wanted to be liquidated.
"The Times" added that he asked the Wagner group to wait for the arrival of the Russian special forces "Spetsnaz" in order to provide them with a safe passage outside Kyiv once the list of assassinations was completed, as they believed that the storming of Russian forces into the capital would distract the Ukrainian authorities, and provide an opportunity to carry out Wagner's mission.
A source close to Wagner's mercenaries in Kyiv confided - to the British newspaper - that despite the loss of some members of the group in the failed assassinations of the past days, the numbers are still in their favour, as there are about 400 Russian mercenaries in Kiev.
other attempts
The British newspaper reported that it is believed that Wagner's mercenaries have drawn up plans for other assassination attempts on the Ukrainian president before the end of this week (tomorrow, Saturday and the day after tomorrow).
According to information reported by "The Times", Wagner's mercenaries arrived in Kyiv after crossing the Belarusian-Ukrainian border before the end of last January.
A diplomatic source and a Wagner specialist says that the Russian special forces remain better equipped than the group itself, but an assassination carried out by mercenaries will be difficult to track until the leads reach the Kremlin.
Zelensky had warned the day after the start of the war on his country that subversive groups had entered Kyiv and pursued him and his family, and after he was asked if he wanted help to leave the city at the request of the US government, he refused the offer, and said, "I need ammunition, not a flight."
The Times reported that in order to avoid assassination, Zelensky may have surrounded himself with a highly reliable team, with constantly changing his whereabouts and his means of communication.