Kyiv: Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) said they have killed two suspected Russian special service agents who were allegedly involved in the killing of a Ukrainian officer in Kyiv earlier this week, CNN reported.
According to CNN, the SBU on Sunday said that Russia's Federal Security Service was behind the killing.
SBU officer Ivan Voronych was shot dead in Kyiv on Thursday morning, with the SBU describing the incident as an assassination and confirming that a man and a woman were involved in the killing, as per CNN.
"The suspects tried to lay low after the shooting," the SBU said in a statement on Sunday, as quoted by CNN.
The agency said it tracked the suspects down to a location in the Kyiv region with help from the National Police.
SBU head Vasyl Malyuk said, "As a result of covert investigative and active counterintelligence measures, the enemy's lair was discovered."
He added, "During their arrest, they began to resist, there was an exchange of fire, and the scoundrels were eliminated," according to CNN.
In a video reportedly filmed in front of the suspects' bodies, Malyuk said, "I want to remind you that the only prospect for the enemy on the territory of Ukraine is death!"
The SBU said the two suspects were ordered to monitor the movements of the victim and identify his routine. They were then directed to a safe house where they received a pistol fitted with a silencer for the attack.
The SBU is Ukraine's main security agency, which also carries out sabotage missions against Russian targets. CNN earlier reported that the SBU was behind Ukraine's major drone attack against Russian airfields last month, codenamed "Operation Spiderweb".
The operation reportedly caused major damage to Russian military aircraft, including strategic bombers and surveillance planes.
As per CNN, the SBU was involved in the earlier assassination of Russian Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, who was wanted by Ukraine for alleged chemical weapons use.
Voronych's killing took place amid increased Russian drone attacks on Ukraine. According to CNN, this week saw the largest and second-largest drone attacks of the ongoing conflict, which is now in its fourth year.
(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
