Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fired the director of his own personal security, just days after a plot to assassinate him was discovered.
The decree dismissing Sergii Rud, who had been in office since 2019, was released on Thursday night and no successor was announced.
No justification was given for Rud’s dismissal either, but it coincides with the discovery of a plot to assassinate Zelensky allegedly orchestrated by Russia’s security service, the FSB. Two members of the state administration guard, the UDO, were arrested on suspicion of being involved in the scheme.
The UDO is responsible for the security of the most important figures in the Ukrainian state and their respective families.
It is not known whether Rud had any role or even knowledge of the plan, but, according to the BBC, he is a friend of one of the two detained colonels, Andrii Huk, with whom he studied at the military academy.
The plan discovered by Ukraine’s internal intelligence services involved the kidnapping and murder of Zelensky, which would serve as a “gift” to be presented to Russian President Vladimir Putin upon his inauguration for a fifth term. The targets to be eliminated, in addition to Zelensky, would be the director of military intelligence, Kirilo Budanov, and the head of the internal security service, the SBU, Vasil Maliuk.
Since the start of Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Zelensky says he has been targeted by numerous assassination plots. However, what has now been revealed seems to generate more concern in Kiev for having reached elements in the closest circle of presidential security.
In recent times there have been several replacements in important positions in the Ukrainian security forces. This Thursday, the resignation of Colonel Sergii Lupanchuk as commander of the Army’s special forces was announced, after just a few months in the position.
