Ukraine’s Security Service (SSU) and the Prosecutor General’s Office have prevented a contract assassination of Serhii Filimonov, commander of the 108th Separate Battalion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, known as the Da Vinci Wolves. The assassination was being orchestrated by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), which had recruited a resident of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast by posing as the SSU.
Source: Prosecutor General’s Office; SSU and an Ukrainska Pravda source within law enforcement
Details: The investigation revealed that the Russian intelligence service had recruited a former Ukrainian soldier from the city of Kamianske, convincing him that he was acting under the SSU’s orders to eliminate a spotter allegedly working for Russia rather than a Ukrainian military commander.
The recruited man received a call from someone using a fake identity and was told that he had supposedly been charged with treason for purchasing medical supplies from an online shop that allegedly supported the Russian armed forces.
To intensify the psychological pressure, the man was sent a forged summons for interrogation. He was then offered “cooperation” with the SSU in exchange for the charges being dropped. He was sent a fake application form to join the SSU and was instructed to travel to Kyiv.
TThe fake application form**Photo: SSU
Quote from SSU: “The FSB handlers manipulated the Ukrainian man’s patriotic beliefs – he genuinely believed he was helping a Ukrainian special service fight the enemy. In his messages to his handler, the man expressed willingness to destroy the occupiers – even at the cost of his own life.”
More details: In Kyiv, the man rented an apartment in a residential complex where Filimonov was supposed to be living. He was instructed to monitor Filimonov, track his movements, send photos from the courtyard, and share GPS coordinates.
The FSB portrayed Filimonov as a “traitor” allegedly responsible for directing attacks against Kyiv. After a large-scale attack on the capital, the handler tried to convince the man that Filimonov orchestrated it.
The recruited individual was given coordinates of a weapons cache containing an AK-74 assault rifle on the outskirts of Kyiv. After retrieving the weapon, he was ordered to kill the Ukrainian soldier.
Ukrainska Pravda law enforcement sources say that the man arrived in Kyiv at the end of May. During this time, the SSU documented him receiving initial instructions, including reconnaissance and area surveillance. The direct assassination attempt on Filimonov was scheduled for early July.
*The weapon received by the recruited individual.*Photo: SSU
SSU operatives apprehended the man as he stepped outside with the weapon. During a search, law enforcement officers found a mobile phone used to communicate with his handler.
He has been charged under Article 263 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which concerns the illegal possession of weapons and ammunition.
Quote from SSU: “The SSU emphasises that Security Service officers do not recruit people over the phone, do not propose illegal acts, and do not assign suspicious tasks. The SSU operates strictly within the framework of Ukrainian law.”
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