Ukraine has uncovered a Russian intelligence network in Kyiv that was planning contract killings of Ukrainian military commanders and prominent public figures, according to the Prosecutor General’s Office on March 31.
The network, coordinated by a staff officer from Russia’s General Staff, recruited four individuals: the head of a private security company, a law enforcement officer, a former convict, and a woman responsible for transportation.
There is a growing number of investigations from the UK, Europe and Ukraine into Russian spy rings, including Kremlin plots to assassinate officials and military personnel.
Investigators report that the group had a clear division of roles—one member was assigned to carry out the killings, others handled logistics, and one accessed restricted databases to provide information to their Russian handlers.
To evade detection, the suspects used vehicles equipped with flashing lights, disguising them as security transport. Weapons and ammunition were stored in concealed caches in Kyiv and Cherkasy oblasts, and they planned to use explosives, including car bombs. The group was arrested just before attempting to assassinate a commander of a Ukrainian volunteer unit.
The suspects now face charges of high treason, attempted contract killing, and unauthorised interference with information systems. Russian organisers are also under investigation for attempted sabotage.
This case follows a series of assassination plots linked to Russia across Europe. On February 19, Moldova initiated a joint investigation with Ukrainian authorities regarding a suspected plot against Ukrainian public figures.
Additionally, in Poland, a man was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison on February 3 for trying to assist Russian operatives in a plan targeting President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In March 2025, three Bulgarians—Orlin Roussev, Biser Dzhambazov, and Katrin Ivanova—were convicted for running a significant espionage operation from a guesthouse in Great Yarmouth. They were part of a larger group of six individuals who conducted surveillance on various targets across Europe, including a US military base in Germany.
The group employed sophisticated technology, including hidden cameras concealed in everyday objects like toys, to monitor their targets. They focused on journalists, such as Christo Grozev, and dissidents, while also conducting reconnaissance.
Vienna is recognised as a major hub for Russian intelligence activities, with many suspected operatives among diplomatic staff. A Moscow-led operation aimed to infiltrate Austria’s intelligence service, and evidence suggests that there has been deep, ongoing infiltration within the agency.
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