The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) said they have arrested a group of individuals plotting to incite unrest and seize the parliament, and the seat of government in Kyiv.
According to the SSU report: “The investigation materials indicate that the group was led by a co-founder of an NGO known since 2015 for its anti-Ukrainian activities. Under the guise of holding a so-called ‘veche’ [a popular assembly in mediaeval Slavic countries], the criminals planned to declare the ‘removal from power’ of the current military and political leadership of Ukraine.
They then hoped to seize the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) building and disrupt its operations.
“However, most of the participants in the event were unaware of the true intentions behind the assembly, i.e. provocations. The criminals planned to spread information about the unrest in Kyiv through domestic and foreign media resources. They hoped this would destabilise the social and political situation within our country to the benefit of the Russian Federation,”
Weapons and ammunition were found in raids, the report said. The suspects could face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty. The investigation is being led by authorities in Ivano-Frankivsk in the west of the country.
