Ukraine: Zelenskyy fires head of state guards after two members accused of plot to kill him

Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed the head of the state guards after allegations that two members were involved in a plot to assassinate him, Al Jazeera reported.

Zelenskyy fired the former leader of the state guards, Serhiy Rud, on Thursday, Al Jazeera reported, adding that the decision came after the State Security Service (SBU) said earlier this week that it had uncovered an assassination plot against Zelenskyy and other important officials.

However, there is no official word yet on Rud’s successor, according to the report.

According to SBU, two men, both colonels in the state guard, had planned to take Zelenskyy hostage and later assassinate him, Al Jazeera reported.

Other important officials, including SBU head Vasyl Maliuk and Kyrylo Budanov, the military intelligence agency’s head, were also said to be targets of the foiled plot.

Two Ukrainian security officials were detained for planning to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, CNN reported citing the country’s State Security Service (SBU).

Two colonels in Ukraine’s government protection unit were accused of carrying out “subversive activities against Ukraine in exchange for financial compensation”, and both were charged with treason, and one of them was also charged with preparing a terrorist act, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s office said Tuesday.

The prosecutor’s office said one of the suspects received two drones and ammunition from Russia’s State Security Service (FSB), which they intended to transfer to another accomplice to carry out an explosion.

The SBU said it had ‘foiled’ the “actively developing plans” to assassinate Zelenskyy and other senior Ukrainian officials, including the head of the SBU, Vasyl Maliuk, and the head of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov.”

Russia did not officially react to the allegations of the SBU, which alleged that the two bodyguards had shared sensitive information to the Federal Security Service (FSB).

In recent months, Zelenskyy’s administration has faced many difficulties and has shaken up some key positions as progress in Ukraine’s conflict with Russia stalls out and officials face corruption accusations, Al Jazeera reported.

Earlier in February, Zelenskyy appointed Oleksandr Syrskyii as the new army chief after dismissing General Valerii Zaluzhny from the post.