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SSU, National Guard, Prosecutor’s Office and National Police detain hitman on attempt to assassinate Khartiia commander

In conjunction with the National Guard, the Prosecutor’s Office and the National Police, the Security Service of Ukraine has detained a man who attempted to assassinate Ihor Obolensky, commander of the Khartiia Corps.

According to the investigation, the suspect is a 69-year-old man from Kharkiv. He was recruited by the russian intelligence services under a false flag, posing as SSU officers.

It has been established that a russian handler tasked the pensioner with eliminating Obolensky on the pretext that he was working for the enemy. To prove these claims, the enemy sent the perpetrator an AI-generated image of Obolensky standing in red square, moscow, wearing a T-shirt bearing the letter ‘Z’.

According to available data, the russian handler arranged for a firearm to be handed over to the hitman via a courier in order to eliminate the Ukrainian military officer. The courier’s identity is currently being established.

A notice of suspicion is being prepared for the detainee under the Articles of the CCU:

  • 115 (intentional murder);
  • 263 (unlawful handling of weapons, ammunition or explosive substances).

The pre-trial investigation is ongoing. Efforts are underway to establish all the circumstances of the crime and bring those responsible to justice.

The Security Service of Ukraine would like to remind that this is not the first instance in which Ukrainian citizens have been recruited ‘under false pretences’, supposedly on behalf of ‘Ukrainian law enforcement agencies’.

The SSU once again urges citizens to remain vigilant. Please note that the SSU operates exclusively within the framework of current Ukrainian legislation and does not set dubious ‘tasks’ or send official documents via messaging apps.

If you are approached with such proposals, if you spotted any suspicious objects or individuals, or have information about the activities of the russian intelligence services, or about websites and social media pages they use for recruitment, please report this to the SSU: