Ukraine's Zelenskyy Removes State Guards Chief Following Foiled Assassination Plot

The head of the state guards was dismissed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following allegations of involvement in a plot to assassinate him, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Zelenskyy fired Serhiy Rud, the former leader of the state guards, on Thursday, according to Al Jazeera, following the State Security Service's (SBU) announcement earlier this week that an assassination plot against Zelenskyy and other officials had been uncovered. Rud's successor has not been officially announced yet, as per ANI reports.

Photo Credit: PTI

Ukraine's Zelenskyy Removes State Guards

According to the SBU, two men, both colonels in the state guard, were alleged to have planned to take Zelenskyy hostage and subsequently assassinate him, Al Jazeera reported. Other important officials, including SBU head Vasyl Maliuk and Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the military intelligence agency, were also identified as targets of the foiled plot.

Two Ukrainian security officials were detained for planning to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as reported by CNN, citing Ukraine's State Security Service (SBU). Two colonels in Ukraine's government protection unit were accused of engaging in "subversive activities against Ukraine for financial compensation" and were charged with treason, with one also facing charges of preparing a terrorist act, according to Ukraine's Prosecutor General's office on Tuesday.

The prosecutor's office indicated that one of the suspects received two drones and ammunition from Russia's State Security Service (FSB) for the purpose of transferring them to another accomplice to carry out an explosion. The SBU claimed to have 'foiled' the "actively developing plans" to assassinate Zelenskyy and other senior Ukrainian officials, including SBU head Vasyl Maliuk and the head of Ukraine's Defence Intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov.

Russia did not officially respond to the SBU's allegations, which accused the two bodyguards of sharing sensitive information with Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB). In recent months, Zelenskyy's administration has encountered numerous challenges and has made changes to key positions amidst stalled progress in Ukraine's conflict with Russia and facing corruption accusations, as reported by Al Jazeera.

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