Ukrainian security services said on Monday they had foiled another Russian plot to incite public unrest and then exploit the ensuing chaos to overthrow the government, a tactic Kiev claims has been used in a series of coups in recent years.
Ukraine’s State Security Service (SBU) said it had uncovered a group of “conspirators” accused of planning to incite unrest, seize the parliament building and replace the country’s military and civilian leadership. Four people have been arrested and charged, according to authorities.
While officials gave few details on how such an ambitious plan would succeed, they said it was a reminder that more than two years after launching a full-scale invasion of the country, the Kremlin remains determined to overthrow the government of President Volodymyr Zelensky at any cost.
On the battlefield, Russia continues to send tens of thousands of new soldiers to the front Replace those who were killed hoping to exhaust Ukraine’s military and Kiev’s Western backers. Meanwhile, Russia’s Ruthless bombing Part of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure is designed to depress the economy and cripple the country’s ability to function.
The Kremlin has long directed a more covert campaign aimed at destabilizing the government in Kiev, in some cases trying to use disinformation to foment discontent, according to Ukrainian and Western officials.
The plot outlined Monday by Ukraine’s domestic intelligence services and prosecutors fits that pattern perfectly.
According to Ukrainian officials, the attack was intended to begin with a riot.
Artem Dekhtyarenko, a spokesman for Ukraine’s Security Service, said the organizers, described as agents acting on behalf of Russia, were planning “a so-called peaceful rally” in the center of the capital.
He said most of the people who gathered were “unaware” of the plot. Once the gathering reached several thousand people, organizers “planned to spread information about the riots in Kiev through domestic and foreign information resources,” Dekhtyarenko said.
“In this way, they hope to undermine the socio-political situation in our country in favor of Russia,” he said in a statement.
He added that the defendants also planned to use the moment to “announce the ouster of the current military and political leadership of Ukraine,” and said they wanted to “occupy” the parliament building “and prevent it from working.”
The potential challenge of attacking and taking control of heavily guarded government buildings raises questions about the feasibility of the plot and how well it would work. But officials said beyond the details, the plot was designed to create an atmosphere of chaos that would undermine confidence in the government.
Ukraine’s chief prosecutor said four men had been charged and served with notices of suspicion of treason, with two being detained before trial as a “precautionary measure”.
The defendants were not named in accordance with state policy. The prosecutor’s office said the organizer was “a public union leader who had participated in numerous unsuccessful provocations.”
“He rented a hall in Kyiv that could accommodate 2,000 people and also sourced troops and armed guards from private buildings to take over parliament,” the prosecutor’s office said.
Because the suspect’s identity is unknown, an attorney or other representative could not be reached for comment.
However, the plot bears similarities to a series of other attempts reported by Ukrainian security services since before Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
For example, in November 2021, Zelensky stated at a press conference that his security services The conspiracy was foiled Overthrow his government.
Just a month before the Kremlin ordered a full-scale invasion, The British government said Moscow is developing plans to stage a coup in Ukraine to install a pro-Russian leader.
At the time, intelligence officials said they were publicly voicing concerns about Russian interference in Ukraine’s internal affairs in an attempt to prevent further escalation.
That didn’t work.
When Russian troops poured into Ukraine in February 2022, one of their first priorities was to Assassination of Mr. Zelensky.
Those attempts to overthrow the government failed. But Zelensky said earlier this year that his security services told him that more than 10 Attempted murder since then.
In May, Ukrainian security services Arrest of two Ukrainian colonels and accused them of being involved in an elaborate plot to murder the president and other senior leaders.
The plot outlined on Monday fits into Zelensky’s broader campaign Warning in Novemberat the time he said Moscow was stepping up its covert campaign to sow discord through disinformation and covert operations.
According to Zelensky, the event was codenamed “Maidan 3”, a reference to the central square in Kiev where protests broke out in 2004 and the 2014 uprising that led to the ouster of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych.
