Ukrainian special services prevent coup attempt

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained a group of people who were preparing public unrest in Kyiv after the Constitution Day that Ukraine celebrated on June 30. According to the SBU, intelligence officers managed to prevent the coup.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org by Hnapel, CC BY-SA 4.0

A co-founder of an unnamed public organization was at the head of the group of public "activists” who were preparing provocations. The company has been known for its anti-Ukrainian actions since 2015.

The perpetrators allegedly planned to announce the removal of the current military-political leadership of Ukraine from power. They then hoped to seize the building of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (the Ukrainian Parliament) and block its work.

To attract people, the provocateurs planned to organize a meeting in the center of Kyiv, which was expected to be supposedly peaceful.

"The attackers planned to disseminate information about the "unrest” in Kyiv through domestic and foreign information resources. In this way, they hoped to undermine the socio-political situation within our state,” the department said.

To implement the plans, the organizer attracted several accomplices, representatives of public organizations from Kyiv, Dnieper and other regions.

The SBU managed to detain the individuals before they could carry out their plans. During searches, SBU officers found weapons and ammunition, various equipment and notes with evidence of criminal acts. The detainees are suspected of committing crimes under Parts 1, 2, 3 of Article 109 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine ("Actions and calls to action aimed at violently changing or overthrowing the constitutional order or seizing state power”).

They face up to 10 years in prison with confiscation of property.