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FSB Thwarts Ukrainian Assassination Plot with Bomb in Speaker
Russia's FSB foils Ukrainian plot to kill a high-ranking officer and pro-Russian blogger with a bomb hidden in a music speaker, packed with TNT and ball bearings.
ND
by News Desk
2024-12-28
FSB Thwarts Ukrainian Assassination Plot with Bomb in Speaker

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Saturday that it had successfully foiled an assassination plot orchestrated by Ukraine, targeting a high-ranking Russian officer and a pro-Russian war blogger. The alleged plan involved a bomb concealed inside a portable music speaker, which was retrieved by a Russian citizen working on the orders of Ukraine's military intelligence agency, the GUR.

The FSB stated that the bomb, which weighed approximately 1.5 kilograms of TNT and was packed with ball bearings for added shrapnel, was hidden inside the speaker. The Russian citizen involved had allegedly established contact with a Ukrainian intelligence officer via the Telegram messaging app, who provided instructions to retrieve the device from a hidden location in Moscow.

While the FSB did not disclose the identities of the intended targets, it did suggest that they were a high-ranking officer and a prominent war blogger, both linked to Russia’s military efforts. The FSB also did not immediately comment on the specific motivations behind the plot.

The Ukrainian government has not officially responded to the claims, and the GUR was unavailable for comment. However, Ukraine has previously justified targeted killings as part of its broader strategy to weaken Russian morale and punish those it holds accountable for alleged war crimes committed during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This has led to significant tensions between the two countries, with accusations of terrorism being leveled on both sides.

Ukraine's stance is that such actions are legitimate, especially when targeting individuals it views as responsible for committing atrocities during the ongoing war. On the other hand, Russia condemns these acts as illegal terrorism, and Ukrainian intelligence has been blamed for the assassination of several Russian figures, including Darya Dugina, the daughter of a Russian ultranationalist, who was killed in 2022.

The FSB's revelation of this plot comes amidst heightened tensions between Ukraine and Russia, with both sides continuing to engage in a war of attrition. On December 17, Ukrainian forces claimed responsibility for the assassination of Lieutenant General Kirillov, chief of Russia's Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Protection Troops. The general was killed outside his apartment building in Moscow when a bomb attached to an electric scooter detonated. Ukraine accused Kirillov of promoting the use of chemical weapons, a claim which Russia has firmly denied.

The rise in targeted killings by both sides has raised concerns about the ethical and legal implications of such actions. Retired U.S. General Keith Kellogg, who was designated by Donald Trump as the U.S. envoy to Ukraine, expressed criticism of Ukraine's strategy, calling it “not really smart” and stating that it was "going a little bit too far."

The ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, marked by military strikes, sabotage, and strategic assassinations, shows no sign of abating as both sides continue to escalate their military operations. The international community remains divided on how to address the growing toll of violence and the increasingly controversial tactics being employed.

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