SBU nabs suspected FSB hitman preparing assassination attempt on activist Druzenko

Ukraine's SBU says it detained a 19-year-old Mykolaiv resident allegedly preparing to assassinate civic activist Gennadiy Druzenko during his morning dog walk in Kyiv Oblast. Investigators say the suspect began communicating with an FSB handler over Telegram in July 2026, tracked Druzenko's routine, and retrieved a pistol, ammunition, and silencer from a cache using coordinates the handlers provided.

Druzenko, co-founder of the Pirogov First Volunteer Mobile Hospital, confirmed on Facebook that he was the target and noted the plot was allegedly timed to coincide with a separate attempted assassination of a Ukrainian military commander in July. SBU officers detained the suspect while he was in position in the forest, seizing three pistols with silencers and phones allegedly showing evidence of FSB contact.

The suspect faces charges including high treason under martial law and preparation for a contract killing, with prosecutors seeking life imprisonment and confiscation of property.

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