Sniper Assassination Attempt on Zelensky Foiled at Polish Airport

An assassination attempt targeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was successfully foiled at Rzeszów Airport in Poland, according to Vasyl Malyuk, head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).

The suspected mastermind, identified as a Polish citizen and former soldier, was allegedly recruited decades ago and is believed to have maintained loyalty to Soviet-era ideology. According to Malyuk, the suspect had been planning an attack for several years, with potential methods including the use of an FPV drone or sniper weapons.

The plot was uncovered and neutralized through the coordinated efforts of the SBU and Poland’s Internal Security Agency. Malyuk confirmed that several assassination attempts were in preparation, including one specifically targeting President Zelenskyy during a planned visit to the Polish city of Rzeszów.

“As part of their criminal plan, they were recruiting individuals to carry out the assassination during the president’s movement within the Office of the President of Ukraine,” Malyuk explained.

He further revealed that last year, a senior colonel of Ukraine’s State Guard Department—responsible for protecting the country’s top officials—was arrested, along with another colonel. Both individuals were reportedly working for Russia’s FSB intelligence agency, particularly the 5th Service, which at the time was headed by Lieutenant General Sergey Beseda. Following the exposure of the plot, Beseda was removed from his position but remains an adviser within the FSB.

“This was an extremely complex operation,” Malyuk added. “We worked on infiltrating this group for nearly two years, essentially since the beginning of the war.”

Meanwhile, Russian drone and missile strikes on Ukraine overnight killed at least 14 civilians and left dozens injured, according to local officials. Nine fatalities were reported in Kyiv, where part of an apartment building collapsed.

Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 352 drones and decoys, along with 11 ballistic missiles and five cruise missiles. Air defenses successfully intercepted or jammed 339 drones and 15 missiles before they reached their intended targets.

Later in the day, a Russian ballistic missile strike destroyed a high school in Ukraine’s southern Odesa region, killing two school staff members. Fortunately, no students were present due to the summer holiday. President Zelenskyy condemned the attack, calling it “absolutely insane.”

The strikes occurred as President Zelenskyy began an official visit to the United Kingdom, where he held private talks with King Charles III.