Zelenskyy ousts Security Chief amid assassination plot links
11 May 2024 12:11
Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed General Serhii Rudyi, the head of the State Security Administration. The officers subordinate to him were arrested in connection with the assassination attempt on the President of Ukraine.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy removed General Serhii Rudyi from his position. Rudyi has led the State Security Administration since 2019. The office of the Ukrainian head of state does not provide the reason for Zelenskyy's decision. Rudyi was also not transferred to another position. The dismissal might be due to a thwarted attempted assassination organized by services in Moscow against the president and intercepted by Ukrainian services.
Rudyi's career advancement under Zelenskyy
Serhii Rudyi began his career in the State Security Administration (SSA) in the early 2000s, during President Leonid Kuchma's tenure. At that time, Rudyi focused on training state security service officers. With Russia annexing Crimea in 2014 and the conflict onset in Donbas, Rudyi undertook significant managerial roles at the SSA's institute, preparing future officers.
His career accelerated with Volodymyr Zelenskyy's election as President of Ukraine in 2019. Rudyi was appointed deputy head of SSA and shortly after became the head of the service. Following the full-scale Russian aggression against Ukraine, Rudyi emerged as a critical figure in the country, joining a select group that attends meetings with the president to discuss the ongoing war situation.
The assassination network smashed. They planned to kidnap or kill the president
According to the SBU's findings, the attackers' armament included FPV drones, RPG-7 rounds, and MON-90 anti-infantry mines discovered in Kyiv, marking the planned assassination site.
The network was uncovered, notably with significant input from the intended target, Vasyl Maluk, the head of the SBU, who oversaw the investigation.
As reported by Ukrainian TV station TSN, the SBU had long surveilled the conspiracy's participants, recording weapons transport and phone conversations between the potential attacker and his FSB contact. According to the SBU, the terrorist attack organization was led by IX Department of Operational Information V Service members Maxim Mishustin, Dmytro Perlin, and Alexey Kornev, all facing life imprisonment.
