Russia security council considers plan to eliminate Ukrainian president
Reports indicate the Russian Security Council weighed plans to eliminate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky following cross-border strikes, while security services thwarted insider assassination plots.
Rising geopolitical tensions have brought fresh urgency to security discussions surrounding Ukrainian leadership, as authorities evaluate new threats against high-ranking officials. Official statements and investigative reports reveal a widening strategy targeting top figures in Kyiv.
Security Council deliberations and policy shifts
Russia has reportedly greenlit plans to eliminate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the broader political and military leadership of Kyiv according to Jen reporting. This potential escalation emerged during a closed-door gathering of the Russian Security Council, which operates under the leadership of President Vladimir Putin. Military sources and Telegram channels cited by the Moskovskij Komsomolets website indicate that security agencies pressed officials to abandon an alleged ban on striking the Ukrainian leadership directly.
Media additions
The policy change purportedly stems from a series of cross-border strikes hitting the St. Petersburg region, particularly targeting the port of Ust-Luga, a critical Baltic Sea export hub for Russia. Security officials argued that previous defensive measures proved inadequate, pressing instead for direct operations against those issuing orders for attacks against Russian territory. Proposed measures include targeted strikes directed at enemy bunkers and leadership convoys, though the Kremlin and the Security Council have remained silent on the reports.
The 14 permanent members of the advisory body include prominent institutional figures such as the prime minister, parliamentary speakers, the head of the presidential staff, and the ministers of defense, foreign affairs, and internal affairs. Heads of the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) also sit at the table. Dmitry Medvedev, holding the post of Deputy Chairman of the Security Council, has maintained a notoriously uncompromising stance.
Medvedev openly admitted that removing Zelensky is an ultimate goal of the Kremlin according to Newsweek coverage. Speaking via state-run media and his personal Telegram channel, Medvedev claimed Moscow has no alternative choice. He previously asserted that the administration in Kyiv should be completely dismantled, writing that even the ashes of the regime should not be allowed to return.
Infiltration and intercepted plots
While Moscow weighs its options at the highest governmental levels, intelligence agencies have actively moved to disrupt physical plots on the ground. Vasyl Malyuk, head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), disclosed that security forces successfully dismantled an assassination network operating within the state's own protective apparatus according to Kyiv Post reporting.
Two colonels belonging to the State Guard Department (UDO), tasked directly with safeguarding top Ukrainian officials, were secretly recruited by the Fifth Service of Russia’s FSB. Investigators discovered a scheme to recruit individuals capable of assassinating Zelensky directly inside the President’s Office in Kyiv. The SBU detailed a complex counter-intelligence operation lasting nearly two years, which successfully infiltrated the spy ring using advanced agent-technical methods.
Malyuk also revealed a separate thwarted plot orchestrated in Poland. A retired Polish military officer, initially recruited decades earlier by the Soviet Union, was reactivated as a sleeper agent to eliminate Zelensky during a transit stop at Rzeszów Airport. Conspirators weighed multiple methods for the attack, including sniper fire and explosives delivered via FPV drones. Additional intelligence gathered by the SBU indicated that Russian services prepared simultaneous elimination attempts targeting Malyuk himself and military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov.
| Target / Official | Threat Source / Agency | Method Discussed |
|---|---|---|
| Volodymyr Zelensky | Russian Security Council / FSB Fifth Service | Bunker/convoys, insider assassination, FPV drones, sniper fire |
| Vasyl Malyuk | Russian intelligence services | Targeted assassination operations |
| Kyrylo Budanov | Russian intelligence services | Targeted assassination operations |
Broader context and justification claims
Russian leadership has continually framed its military campaign around ideological objectives. Medvedev reiterated that ongoing operations intend to achieve the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine, branding the Kyiv administration with derogatory historical references. Ukrainian officials have consistently dismissed these claims as baseless propaganda.
Tensions intensified further following earlier accusations from Moscow alleging that Ukraine launched drone attacks against the Kremlin residence of President Putin. Zelensky denied any involvement in those incidents, noting that his nation lacked the requisite weaponry. Following those events, high-ranking Russian officials escalated their rhetoric, declaring that normal diplomatic options no longer exist.
