Zelenskyy sacks head of Ukrainian state guard two days after foiled 'Russian' assassination plot

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sacked the head of the state guard two days after two of its members were accused of plotting his assassination. According to Reuters, Zelenskyy asked the Ukrainian official to step down from the post on May 9.

After a brief meeting over the matter, the Ukrainian leader issued a decree dismissing the official named Serhiy Rud. No successor has been nominated as of now.

Earlier this week, the Ukrainian State Security Service (SBU) revealed that it had caught two men and accused them of plotting the assassination of the Ukrainian leader. The two men were serving as colonels in the state guard service.

A gift to Putin?

During the investigation, the Ukrainian SBU found that the assassinations would have been a “gift” for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who commenced his next term in office on May 7. The authorities found that the men were recruited by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) who leaked classified information to Moscow.

The two men were tasked to find someone close to the presidential guard, who would have held the Ukrainian leader hostage and later killed him. However, the Ukrainian authorities did not give clarity on the fact that at what point the alleged plot had been foiled.

The SBU noted that the Russian authorities were also plotting to kill SBU head Vasyl Maliuk and Lieutenant-General Kyrylo Budanov.

Meanwhile, Moscow refused to comment on the allegations hurled by the SBU. This is not the first time Zelenskyy faced an assassination attempt. Starting from last year, there have been at least five Russian plots to kill the Ukrainian leader that have been foiled so far.

Throughout the course of the war, the Ukrainian leader has faced major difficulties from within. In light of this, some key staff positions were changed to ensure that no Ukrainian official is colluding with Russia.

In February, Zelenskyy named Oleksandr Syrskyii as the new army chief after dismissing General Valerii Zaluzhny from the position. Zaluzhny was the one who said that the Russia-Ukraine war had reached a stalemate, a sentiment which was heavily criticised by Zelenskyy.

With inputs from Reuters.