Their objective was to seize control of the Ukrainian parliament and oust both military and political leadership.
While Russia has been conducting a devastating full-scale invasion of Ukraine for nearly two and a half years, it remains unclear whether Russia had any involvement in the attempted coup.
The SBU reported identifying four suspects, of whom two are currently in custody. If convicted, the suspects could face up to 10 years in prison. The SBU also seized weapons, ammunition, cellphones, computers, and other evidence of criminal activity.
According to Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office, the alleged leader of the coup rented a hall capable of accommodating 2,000 people and enlisted military personnel and armed guards from private companies to facilitate the seizure of parliament. It is uncertain if prosecutors are pursuing additional suspects.
“The main organizer enlisted several accomplices, including representatives from community organizations in Kyiv, Dnipro, and other regions, to execute the criminal plan,” stated the SBU.
This alleged plot in Kyiv occurs against the backdrop of recent battlefield gains by Russia, exploiting Ukraine’s dependence on Western military support. Additionally, Ukrainian officials reported that Russian forces killed seven people, including three children, in a missile strike on the southern town of Vilniansk on Saturday. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded by urging for more long-range weapons.
“I am grateful to all partners who are helping. And the decisions we need must be accelerated. Any delay in decisions in this war means losing human lives,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram.
