Ukraine

Ukraine’s Retaliation: Russian Agents Eliminated After Assassination of Intelligence Chief

Ukraine’s retaliation: Russian agents eliminated following the assassination of intelligence chief

Mikkel Preisler
By Mikkel Preisler 13. July 2025

The assassination of Colonel Ivan Voronych has triggered swift and deadly consequences. Ukraine’s security service struck back decisively, killing two Russian FSB agents believed to be behind the murder, according to the BBC.

Swift Retaliation Following High-Profile Killing

The fatal shooting of senior Ukrainian intelligence officer Ivan Voronych, gunned down in a Kyiv parking lot, was met with a rapid and lethal response on Sunday morning.

Vasyl Malyuk, head of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), confirmed in a video message that two agents from Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) were “eliminated” after resisting arrest.

Ukrainian authorities say the pair had closely monitored Voronych’s movements in the days leading up to the assassination. A pistol fitted with a silencer was later discovered in a safe house uncovered during the investigation.

Kyiv Becomes a Hotspot for Shadow Warfare

Surveillance footage captured the moment Voronych was ambushed—showing the colonel leaving a building in Kyiv shortly after 9 a.m., only to be approached by an unidentified gunman who fired multiple shots at close range.

This incident marks yet another dramatic escalation in the covert intelligence war playing out in Ukraine’s capital, where both sides have engaged in targeted killings and sabotage missions.

Ukraine’s security services have a track record of operations extending beyond their borders—including the high-profile killing of Russian General Igor Kirillov deep inside Russia in December 2024.

Tensions Rise Amid Massive Russian Attacks

The latest developments come against the backdrop of an intensifying conflict. Russian airstrikes on Ukraine have reached record levels, prompting President Volodymyr Zelensky to warn earlier this week that the country had endured its largest aerial assault since the war began.

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