Today’s posting by Ukraine’s acting president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, approving the campaign of assassination of the senior command of Russia’s military in Moscow, was preceded by a chilling open confession by Verkhovna Rada MP Roman Kostenko, who chairs its Defense Committee. The former member of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) declared that their intelligence services plan to continue to assassinate Russian officials and public figures for decades to come. Speaking to the newspaper Ukrainskaya Pravda on April 27, he welcomed the assassination last week of the deputy chief of operations of Russia’s General Staff, Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik. He furthermore proclaimed that Kiev was behind it.
He said of the assassination: “I am pleased. This is good work by our special services. … Even if we manage to get to the point when the war is put on hold, the work of the special services will only just begin,” he said. He added that attacks on Russian officials and public figures will remain a priority “for the next 10, 20, and possibly even 30 years.” Such plans call to mind the NATO Operation Gladio’s “Stay Behind” networks in Italy and other nations. Spokeswoman for Russia’s Foreign Office Maria Zakharova remarked: “The Kiev regime has become a true terrorist cell that receives international support with weapons and money.”
Today’s posting by Zelenskyy read: “Reports from the heads of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine. The Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service [FISU’s Oleh Ivashchenko] reported on the elimination of individuals from the senior command of the Russian armed forces. Justice inevitably comes.” He continued: “The Head of the Security Service of Ukraine [SBU’s Vasyl Malyuk] reported on our continued efforts to counter Russian agent networks and saboteurs within Ukraine. Good results…. We are also working on Ukraine’s next sanctions steps—today I was presented with materials substantiating the need for the relevant decisions. Relevant submissions to the National Security and Defense Council are being prepared.”
Ukrainska Pravda also made clear that the sister of Putin’s key negotiator with the U.S. is being tracked by Kiev. Natalia Dmitrieva, sister of Kirill Dmitriev, was reported by U.S. journalist Katie Livingston’s posting to have travelled to Ukraine using a U.S. passport. Ukrainska Pravda quotes Livingston: “Border records show that Dmitrieva entered Ukraine on 8 February and departed on 12 February, just days before negotiations between Russia and the U.S. were set to take place in Saudi Arabia on a potential Ukraine settlement…. Natalia [Dmitrieva]’s activities while in Ukraine, or purpose for travelling there are unknown.” Livingston asserts that “multiple sources” back up her story.
Of note, both Kirill and Natalia Dmitriev grew up in Kiev, with Kirill coming to the U.S. for university studies. One of Livingstone’s sources reported that Natalia Dmitrieva and her mother had left Ukraine for the U.S., following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
