Ukraine has foiled an alleged plot to overthrow the government that “would have played into Russia’s hands,” Ukraine’s Security Service has revealed.
In a Telegram post on Monday night, July 1, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) claimed the alleged coup organizers planned to trigger a riot in Kyiv on June 30 as a distraction to seize control of the Ukrainian parliament and remove the military and political leadership from power.
Russia has waged a devastating full-scale invasion against its neighbour for nearly two and a half years but as of press time, it is unclear if Russia had any connection to the alleged coup attempt.
Four suspects have been identified, with two held in custody, the SBU said.
The suspects face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty. The SBU said it seized weapons and ammunition, as well as cellphones, computers and other records “with evidence of criminal action.”
According to Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office, the alleged coup leader rented a hall with a capacity of 2,000 people and recruited military personnel and armed guards from private companies to “carry out the seizure” of parliament. It is unclear if prosecutors are looking for more suspects.
“To implement the criminal plan, the main organizer involved several accomplices—representatives of the community organizations from Kyiv, Dnipro, and other regions,” the SBU said.
The alleged plot in Kyiv comes as Russia has made battlefield gains in recent months, exploiting Ukraine’s reliance on the West for weapons.
Also, Russian forces killed seven people, including three children, in a missile strike on the southern town of Vilniansk on Saturday, according to Ukrainian officials, prompting President Volodymyr Zelensky to appeal for more long-range weapons.
“I am grateful to all partners who are helping. And the decisions we need must be accelerated. Any delay in decisions in this war means losing human lives,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram.
