Saleswoman detained for assassination attempt on Zelensky

An unnamed woman was gathering intelligence about Zelenskiy's visit to central Mykolaiv region in late July. Photo: Frat

Ukrainian intelligence has detained a saleswoman in connection with an alleged plot to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The SBU said on Monday it had detained an unnamed woman who was gathering intelligence about Zelensky's visit to Ukraine. center of the Mykolaiv region at the end of July.

The tips of the informant were to help the Russian military plan an airstrike while Zelensky was there.

“First of all, the suspect tried to find out the schedule and route of the visit of the head of state to region,” the SBU said.

Security agents “took additional measures to ensure security” on the eve of Zelensky’s visit, without making an immediate arrest, as they tracked the woman’s connection with an unknown handler from Moscow.

“Massive New Airstrike”

This helped the SBU to learn that the woman was also trying to “locate electronic warfare systems and ammunition depots.” It said: «According to our information, the Russians hoped to use this intelligence to prepare a new massive air strike against the Mykolaiv region.»

The woman was reportedly detained just as she was about to send intelligence to her Russian contact .

Ukrainian intelligence determined that the woman was a shop assistant at a military base in the small Black Sea town of Ochakiv. , south of Nikolaev, who reportedly traveled around the region and photographed Ukrainian military installations.

She is also suspected of using her friends and work contacts to obtain confidential information that they did not know she was will be used against Ukraine. .

The photographs released by the SBU on Monday show a dark-haired, stocky, short woman standing in a room with two SBU officers.

The secret service blurred her face and did not identify her.

p>Messages from of a Russian monitor

The SBU also released screenshots of what are alleged to be messages she allegedly exchanged with her Russian monitor.

In one thread, a woman told her Russian contact about Mr. Zelensky’s upcoming visit to hospital in her city. The supervisor then asked her to find out more and said, «It would be nice to take a photo.» They added: «No one will suspect anything if you just take a picture of the hospital.»

The SBU also released what it said were handwritten notes by a woman, one of which is from a military base, marking the barracks, a canteen and an infirmary.

Another article considered a list of targets called «Strike» and listed «base», «air defense base» and «artillery battery».

The woman was detained, according to SBU, if convicted, she faces up to 12 years in prison.