Attacker's weapon malfunctioned in bid to kill Khartiia commander, Ukrainska Pravda sources say – photo, video

A man who was preparing to carry out an assassination attempt on Khartiia commander Ihor Obolenskyi has been detained in Kharkiv. His Russian handlers, posing as officers of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), had convinced the detained Kharkiv resident that Obolenskyi was, supposedly, a "traitor".

Source: Ukrainska Pravda sources within law enforcement

Details: According to Ukrainska Pravda sources, the attacker's weapon failed to fire. The detained man approached Obolenskyi from behind in Kharkiv.

Early reports indicate that a 69-year-old man, believed to have been preparing the attempt on Obolenskyi's life, was detained near a barbershop on Friday 31 July.

A Makarov pistol and a supply of ammunition were seized from the detained Kharkiv resident.

The investigation established that the man was recruited remotely by Russian special services, who posed as representatives of the SSU and convinced him that the Khartiia commander was supposedly a "traitor".

As purported proof of Obolenskyi's supposed pro-Russian sympathies, the detainee was sent an AI-generated photograph depicting Obolenskyi against the backdrop of the Kremlin, clad in a T-shirt bearing Russian symbols.

The attacker also said he had received the weapon from an unidentified person in Kharkiv, on the instructions of his handler.

Law enforcement officers are now working to establish the identity of the person who handed over the weapon, analysing CCTV footage, examining the possibility of further accomplices and determining whether Obolenskyi's movements were leaked.

Criminal proceedings have been launched over the incident.

Background: On 31 July, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that an assassination attempt on Khartiia commander Ihor Obolenskyi was foiled.

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