Russia Allegedly Planned Assassinations of Ukrainian Figures

A joint investigation by Moldova and Ukraine has uncovered an alleged Russian plot to assassinate prominent Ukrainian public figures. The operation, revealed on Friday, February 20, 2026, involved the recruitment of individuals to carry out contract killings, with payments of up to $100,000 offered for each successful hit.

Joint Investigation Uncovers Plot

Ukrainian Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko stated that 20 searches were conducted across Ukraine, leading to the arrest of seven individuals. Three more arrests were made in Moldova, including the alleged organizer of the group as reported by Firstpost. Authorities seized money, weapons, explosives, and evidence of communication with Russian handlers.

Targeted Individuals and Motives

While the full list of targets remains undisclosed, Andriy Yusov, who coordinates prisoner exchanges with Russia for the Ukrainian military, has been publicly identified as one of those targeted according to Firstpost. The amount offered for each assassination depended on the victim’s prominence and influence.

Broader Context of Alleged Russian Operations

This case adds to a growing number of investigations across Europe into alleged Russian-linked operations targeting Ukrainian officials since the start of the full-scale invasion. Kyiv has repeatedly accused Russian intelligence services of orchestrating assassination attempts and sabotage operations within the country .

Power Outages in Ukraine and Moldova

Separately, emergency power cuts have affected several Ukrainian cities and neighboring Moldova. Ukraine’s Energy Minister attributed the outages to a technical malfunction affecting power lines between the two countries as reported by the Associated Press. Kyiv’s metro and water supply were disrupted, and most districts in Moldova’s capital, Chisinau, were left without electricity according to DW. Ukrainian nuclear power plants reduced output and the Chernobyl site briefly lost off-site power .

No immediate comment has been provided by Russia regarding the alleged assassination plot.