Ukraine Arrests 'Two Russian Agents' for Plotting to Assassinate Zelensky

On Tuesday, May 7, the Ukrainian Security Service announced the arrest of two senior military officials who were allegedly Russian agents intending to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelensky and several senior Ukrainian officials. According to Reuters, as Vladimir Putin recently took an oath for a new presidential term in the Kremlin, these two intended to present Zelensky and senior Ukrainian officials 'as a gift' to him. The Ukrainian Security Service identified the agents as two colonels from the Ukrainian State Guard Service who had been recruited by the Russian Federal Security Service and were providing classified information to Moscow. The statement from the Ukrainian Security Service indicated that the two were tasked with finding someone close to the presidential guard to take Zelensky hostage and then kill him; however, it is unclear at what point this alleged plot was foiled. Vasyl Maliuk, head of the Ukrainian Security Service, stated on Telegram that the terrorist attack intended as a gift to Putin for his presidential inauguration was, in fact, a failure of Russian special services. The Kremlin refrained from commenting last month when asked about the arrest of a man in Poland accused of collaborating with Russian intelligence to prepare a potential assassination attempt on Zelensky. The Ukrainian president, who has been leading his country's efforts to fend off Russia's invasion for over two years, mentioned last fall that his security services had thwarted at least five Russian plots to assassinate him. The Ukrainian Security Service also stated that this espionage group aimed to eliminate Maliuk and Kyrylo Budanov, head of the military intelligence agency. The assassination of Budanov was supposed to take place before Orthodox Easter on Sunday, May 7. Germany and Poland reported the arrest of several Russian espionage and sabotage agents. Ukraine called for the isolation of Russia from international organizations. An armed attack on the vehicle carrying an aide to the Ukrainian president left one injured. Russia placed Zelensky on its wanted list; Ukraine described this as a sign of Moscow's desperation. Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian power plants continue.