Anurag Kumar
Thursday, the Kremlin stated that Russia’s security services knew what they were doing in response to a senior Ukrainian intelligence official’s claim that President Vladimir Putin topped Kyiv’s hit list.
Vadym Skibitsky, the deputy head of Ukraine’s military intelligence service, told the German newspaper Die Welt in an interview that Kyiv wanted to assassinate Putin “because he coordinates and decides what happens” in the war, and that Putin was aware that he topped Ukraine’s kill list.
“But in the end, everyone will have to answer for their actions,” Skibitsky was quoted as saying.
“Putin is aware that we are growing closer to him, but he is also terrified of being murdered by his own people,” Skibitsky told Die Welt.
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As additional targets, Skibitsky named mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, and military commander Sergei Surovikin, dubbed “General Armageddon” by Russian media.
He was quoted as saying that Putin was a problematic target due to the fact that he spent much of his time “holed up” but was now beginning to appear in public more frequently.
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, said Thursday on state television, in response to a question about whether Putin’s security measures have been increased in the wake of Skibitsky’s interview:
“Believe me, our security services know their jobs and what they are doing.”
Peskov stated that Skibitsky’s interview proved that Russia was justified in launching its “special military operation” in Ukraine 15 months ago, a conflict which Ukraine and the West describe as an unprovoked conquest war.
“The terrorist regime expresses its terrorist ambitions. Peskov stated that the special military operation is more than justifiable, more than required, and must be concluded by attaining its objectives.
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Earlier this month, the Kremlin characterized a drone attack on the Kremlin as a Ukrainian attempt to assassinate Putin, which Kyiv denied at the time.
Earlier on Thursday, The New York Times reported that U.S. intelligence agencies believed the drone attack was likely carried out by Ukrainian agents or military intelligence.
