SBU detains foreign hitman attempting to shoot high-ranking Navy official on Russia's orders

Counterintelligence agents the State Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), together with the SBU Office in the Odesa region, has thwarted an enemy attempt to carry out a contract killing of a high-ranking official of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. A hitman—a resident of a Balkan country recruited by Russian special services—was detained.

"As a result of a special operation in Odesa, a Russian agent who tried to liquidate a high-ranking officer of the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was caught red-handed," the SBU informed on its Telegram channel on Friday.

As the investigation established, on the day of the assassination attempt, the killer took a position near the exit of the residential complex where the Ukrainian officer lives, armed with a pistol and two loaded magazines.

"Imitating a bicycle repair while wearing a balaclava, the perpetrator waited for the appearance of the car driven by the serviceman. When the car approached the exit, the agent threw the bicycle under the wheels and tried to open fire on the driver," the report states.

At that moment, the hitman was detained by a counterintelligence task force and SBU special forces, who had been monitoring the suspect for a long time and documented his every step.

"According to the investigation materials, the enemy’s task was carried out by a 37-year-old resident of one of the Balkan countries recruited by Russian intelligence officers," the agency specifies.

According to the SBU, the foreigner arrived in Kyiv in February 2026 under the guise of a tourist and later went to Odesa to carry out the Russian order.

"Upon arrival in the port city, the agent received a location for a cache from a Russian handler, where he retrieved a pistol with a silencer and ammunition. The suspect then tracked the main locations and routes of the potential victim, later ‘coordinating’ the location of the planned assassination with the Russian intelligence officer," the message notes.

To maintain secrecy, the killer regularly changed addresses of rented apartments and hotel rooms in Odesa.

SBU investigators notified the foreigner of suspicion under Part 2 of Art. 15 and Part 2 of Art. 258 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (completed attempt to commit a terrorist act).

The perpetrator is in custody. The comprehensive measures were conducted under the procedural guidance of the regional prosecutor’s office.