Zelensky dismisses bodyguard leader following thwarted assassination strategy.
The firing of State Guard Service (UDO) head Serhii Rud was announced in a decree posted on the presidential website. No explanation was provided for the decision.
As reported by Ukrainian news outlet Ukrinform, Rud's appointment as Zelensky's top bodyguard occurred in October 2019. His successor has yet to be chosen.
The UDO's responsibilities include guaranteeing the safety of Ukraine's president and major state officials, as well as securing administrative buildings.
Recently, two UDO officials were arrested due to their alleged participation in a Russian scheme to murder Zelensky.
These two colonels were accused by Ukraine's Prosecutor General's office of "undermining Ukraine via revolutionary activity in return for monetary compensation," on Tuesday.
Each colonel has been charged with treason, while one was also charged with planning a terrorist attack.
Kyiv's security services (SBU) claimed they thwarted the scheme to kill Zelensky and other prominent Ukrainian officials, including SBU head Vasyl Maliuk and Ukraine's Defence Intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov.
The prosecutor's office mentioned one of the suspects was given two drones and ammunition by Russia's state security service (FSB) to give to another collaborator to carry out an explosion.
Zelensky has reportedly encountered multiple threats on his life since Russia launched its broad-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In addition to assassination attempts, the president also experienced near-death experiences while on trips to battlefronts and Ukrainian cities targeted by Russian bombardment.
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Source: edition.cnn.com
