Ukrainians who collaborate with Russia face being killed as part of an assassination programme, the head of Kyiv’s security services has said.
Lt Gen Vasyl Malyuk, the SBU’s most senior officer, said covert operations had already targeted “very many” people responsible for war crimes and attacks against Ukrainian citizens.
The campaign, involving networks of secret agents and clandestine operatives, has prioritised Ukrainian nationals collaborating with the Kremlin’s occupation authorities, he said in an hour-long television interview.
“Officially, we will not admit to this,” Lt Gen Malyuk told the ICTV broadcaster. “But at the same time I can offer some details.”
Moscow almost immediately moved to issue a warrant for the SBU head’s arrest on suspicion of participating in “terrorist acts” on Tuesday after the interview was broadcast.
Lt Gen Malyuk said once intelligence has been confirmed with national law enforcement agencies, the SBU is sanctioned to carry out the assassinations.
The most high-profile killing was that of Ukrainian-born Kremlin propagandist Vladlen Tatarsky, who was killed in a bombing at a St Petersburg cafe owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the late head of the Wagner mercenary organisation.
The SBU chief said his security service would not take responsibility for the assassination but confirmed an operative had duped a young woman into handing an explosive-laden statue to Tatarsky.
