From Kyiv to Poland: How Ukraine Stopped a Russian Plot to Eliminate Zelensky

| Published June 23, 2025

Polish former soldier, recruited by Russian intelligence, was to kill Zelensky at an airport in Poland, according to Ukrainian intelligence

🔍 What Ukraine Just Revealed

Ukraine’s intelligence services have unveiled explosive new details about two separate assassination attempts targeting President Volodymyr Zelensky, allegedly orchestrated by Russian operatives. One plot involved a Russian sleeper agent in Poland aiming to strike during Zelensky’s airport visits, while the other involved insiders within Ukraine’s own presidential guard, allegedly working with the Russian FSB. The revelations shed light on the scale and persistence of Moscow’s efforts to eliminate Ukraine’s wartime leader—and Kyiv’s growing success in countering them.

1. Rzeszów Airport Plot (Poland)

• A retired Polish military officer, recruited decades ago by Russian intelligence and driven by Soviet nostalgia, was activated as a sleeper agent.

• The plan involved attacking Zelensky at Rzeszów–Jasionka Airport—a major gateway for his travels—via sniper fire or an FPV drone. He was arrested in April last year during joint SBU and Polish ABW operations.

2. Inside-Ukraine Plot – Presidential Office Conspiracy

• Two colonels in Ukraine’s State Guard (UDO), acting as informants for the Russian FSB’s Fifth Service, conspired to ambush and possibly seize or kill Zelensky within the Office of the President.

• These officers were detained in a high-profile counterintelligence operation led by SBU chief Vasyl Maliuk after two years of surveillance.

🎯 Context & Background

• Zelensky has reportedly survived over a dozen assassination attempts since February 2022—including attacks by Chechen special forces and Wagner mercenaries.

• Following the recent revelations, SBU head Vasyl Maliuk noted that the FSB’s Fifth Service chief, Lt Gen Sergey Beseda, was removed from his position, allegedly in response to the failures of these plots.

✅ Why It Matters Now

• These incidents highlight the persistent and multi-pronged threat Russia poses—not just on battlefields, but also in covert plots aimed at Ukraine’s leadership.

• The SBU’s effective detection and prevention of both the overseas sleeper attack and the insider conspiracy reinforce Ukraine’s counterintelligence capabilities.

• Zelensky’s position as both a wartime leader and a symbol of Ukrainian unity makes him a focal point for Kremlin attempts to destabilize Ukraine politically or psychologically.

🔹 Strategic Prospects

1. Enhanced International Support:
   Revealing credible threats could rally Ukraine’s allies and strengthen diplomatic backing or security aid.

2. Boosted Domestic Morale and Unity:
   Demonstrating that Ukraine’s intelligence services are effectively neutralizing serious threats may solidify public confidence in leadership.

3. Undermining Russian Intelligence Credibility:
   Publicly exposing failed plots weakens the image of Russia’s FSB and creates pressure on its leadership.

4. Strengthening Ukraine’s Global Narrative:
   Reinforces the portrayal of Ukraine as a democracy under siege, increasing media attention and global solidarity.

🔻 Security Concerns

1. Exposure of Counterintelligence Operations:
   Public disclosures may compromise sources, methods, or ongoing surveillance efforts.

2. Risk of Retaliatory Escalation:
   Russia may respond to embarrassment with more aggressive or covert actions.

3. Potential for Public Fear or Distrust:
   Repeated exposure to plots can create anxiety or suspicion, especially if insiders were involved.

4. Politicization of Threat Intelligence:
   Critics may accuse leadership of using assassination threats to distract or manipulate public opinion.

 Bottom Line:

The exposure of these coordinated assassination attempts underscores the high-stakes nature of Ukraine’s ongoing conflict—not only on the battlefield but within its political core. While Kyiv’s intelligence success reveals operational strength and vigilance, the plots also highlight the persistent threat posed by Russian espionage, both abroad and within Ukraine’s own institutions. As President Zelensky remains a symbolic and strategic target, safeguarding his leadership has become not just a national security priority, but a matter of international stability.

SOURCES: THE UK SUN – ZEL KILL PLOT Russian ‘Day of the Jackal’ plot to assassinate Zelensky at Polish airport foiled by Ukraine as would-be hitman arrested

SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST – Ukraine reveals details of alleged plot to assassinate President Zelensky last year

NEWSWEEK – Zelensky Assassination Plot Foiled: What to Know

THE ECONOMIC TIMES – Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky was on the verge of being assassinated—then this happened, all details