In the aftermath, Ukraine’s national police reported that those killed were "citizens of a foreign country," but provided no further information regarding their identities. Moscow has yet to comment on these developments. Surveillance footage verified by Reuters shows one of the suspects leaving a Kyiv building shortly after the shooting, which the SBU claims was premeditated. They stated that the agents had been monitoring Voronych's movements before the attack, utilizing coordinates of his location to plan the assassination with a firearm equipped with a suppressor.
The SBU, akin to the UK's MI5, has pivoted to perform operations involving sabotage and assassination within Russian territory since the onset of the full-scale invasion in 2022. An unnamed source revealed that the SBU had previously executed notable operations against high-ranking Russian officials, including General Igor Kirillov in December 2024.
The timing of these actions coincides with significant upticks in Russian military strikes against Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky declared that the country faced its most extensive aerial assault recently. June marked the highest civilian casualty rate in three years, as confirmed by the UN, highlighting the ongoing peril of the conflict. On the eastern front, Russian forces continue to make slow progress, regaining previously lost territories. As attempts for a ceasefire hit impasses, the U.S. has resumed its military aid to Ukraine amidst continuous fears stirred by Russia's drone operations.
The SBU, akin to the UK's MI5, has pivoted to perform operations involving sabotage and assassination within Russian territory since the onset of the full-scale invasion in 2022. An unnamed source revealed that the SBU had previously executed notable operations against high-ranking Russian officials, including General Igor Kirillov in December 2024.
The timing of these actions coincides with significant upticks in Russian military strikes against Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky declared that the country faced its most extensive aerial assault recently. June marked the highest civilian casualty rate in three years, as confirmed by the UN, highlighting the ongoing peril of the conflict. On the eastern front, Russian forces continue to make slow progress, regaining previously lost territories. As attempts for a ceasefire hit impasses, the U.S. has resumed its military aid to Ukraine amidst continuous fears stirred by Russia's drone operations.
