Assassination attempt on Crimean governor thwarted in Russia

The Ukrainian-trained suspect intended to blow up the vehicle of the head of the autonomous republic.

Russia’s Federal Security Service has thwarted an assassination attempt on Crimean Governor Sergei Aksionov.

Agents have detained a Russian citizen hired and trained in Ukraine to detonate explosives who arrived in Crimea in June, where he began preparations to carry out an attack. Thus, he intended to cause an explosion in the politician’s car, but he could not fulfill his purpose when he was arrested by the authorities along with the seizure of an explosive device from a cache, details an official statement.

The territorial investigation unit of the Security Service initiated two criminal cases against the detainee for the attempt to commit a terrorist attack and for the illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage or transport of explosives.

Sergei Aksionov thanked the officers on Monday for having prevented the attack, “which the agents of the kyiv terrorist regime were preparing.” Through a publication on Telegram, he was sure that the masterminds of this crime could be established and punished. “Our services work with precision and efficiency,” the official said.