Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy relieved the head of the state guard of his duties two days after two members were accused of planning his assassination.
On May 9, Zelenskyy requested the Ukrainian official to step down from his position following a meeting on the issue.
After the meeting, the Ukrainian President issued a decree to dismiss Serhiy Rud from his role. At this time, no replacement has been announced.
Earlier this week, the Ukrainian State Security Service (SBU) disclosed that they had apprehended two individuals and charged them with conspiring to assassinate the Ukrainian leader. These two individuals were serving as colonels in the state guard service.
A Threat to Putin?
The SBU’s investigation revealed that the planned assassinations were intended as a “gift” for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who began his new term on May 7. It was found that the two men had been recruited by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) and had disclosed confidential information to Moscow.
The two individuals were assigned to identify someone near the presidential guard who could have taken the Ukrainian leader captive and then executed him. However, Ukrainian authorities have not clarified when the supposed plot was thwarted.
The SBU pointed out that Russian authorities were also devising plans to eliminate SBU head Vasyl Maliuk and Lieutenant-General Kyrylo Budanov.
In the midst of these events, the SBU’s allegations were met with silence from Moscow. Zelenskyy’s encounter with an assassination attempt is not an isolated incident. Over the past year, there have been multiple thwarted Russian plots to eliminate the Ukrainian leader.
Throughout the duration of the conflict, the Ukrainian leader has encountered significant challenges from within his own ranks. In response, certain key positions within the government were reshuffled to ensure that no Ukrainian officials were collaborating with Russia.
In February, Zelenskyy appointed Oleksandr Syrskyii as the new army chief, replacing General Valerii Zaluzhny who had been dismissed. Zaluzhny had previously stated that the war between Russia and Ukraine had reached a stalemate, a viewpoint that was strongly criticized by Zelenskyy.
