Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) announced Sunday that its officers had killed two Russian agents suspected of assassinating an SBU officer in Kyiv earlier in the week, alleging Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) orchestrated the operation.
SBU officer Ivan Voronych was fatally shot Thursday morning in what Ukrainian authorities described to CNN as an apparent targeted killing.
According to an SBU statement, the suspects—a man and a woman—attempted to hide in the Kyiv region after the attack. Ukrainian security forces located them through what SBU chief Vasyl Malyuk described as “covert investigative and counterintelligence measures.”
Malyuk stated, “The enemy’s hideout was uncovered. During their arrest, they resisted, an exchange of fire occurred, and both were eliminated.” In a video message recorded near the scene, Malyuk added, “The only future for the enemy on Ukrainian soil is death.”
The SBU claims the pair had been tasked with following Voronych to monitor his routine before receiving a silenced pistol at a designated safe house to carry out the shooting.
The SBU, which handles internal security and covert operations against Russia, has previously been linked to drone strikes on Russian targets, including last month’s attack on airfields.
Voronych’s assassination coincides with a period of heightened Russian aggression toward Ukraine. This past week saw both the largest and second-largest drone attacks since the conflict began nearly four years ago.
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