In a brazen attack that underscores the ongoing violence in Ukraine, Colonel Ivan Voronych, a high-ranking officer with Ukraine's Security Service (SSU), was assassinated on the streets of Kyiv. The execution-style killing occurred on Thursday morning in the Holosiivskyi district as Voronych was leaving his apartment building around 8 a.m.
Surveillance footage shows an armed individual, reportedly using a silenced pistol, approaching Colonel Voronych and firing multiple shots at close range before fleeing the scene. The assailant was seen sprinting across a parking lot moments prior to the shooting, which resulted in Voronych being hit by five rounds.
Emergency services arrived at the scene to find Colonel Voronych with multiple gunshot wounds. Despite immediate attention, medical personnel pronounced him dead, unable to revive him with life-saving treatment.
Roman Chervinsky, a former Ukrainian intelligence officer, confirmed the assassination to The Telegraph, stating, "With five shots at close range while leaving the apartment today at 8 a.m., the enemy killer did his dirty work." Chervinsky highlighted Voronych's significant contributions, noting his dedication to combating Russian aggression since 2014. The colonel's career spanned over a decade, focusing on special operations, counter-terrorism, and security missions central to Ukraine's intelligence efforts against Russian forces.
The Ukrainian intelligence community is reeling from the loss, with a fellow officer accusing Russia of orchestrating the targeted killing. This accusation reflects the deep-seated tensions and the ongoing covert war between the intelligence services of the two nations amidst the broader conflict.
Ukraine's Security Service confirmed the incident in a statement to Ukrainska Pravda, announcing a criminal investigation and a commitment to "taking comprehensive measures to establish all the circumstances of the crime and bring those responsible to justice."
This assassination is part of a series of targeted eliminations that have characterized the shadow war between Russian and Ukrainian forces since the conflict escalated in February 2022. Notably, three months ago, Russian military general Yaroslav Maskalik was killed in a car bombing in Moscow, an operation that bore the hallmarks of a sophisticated assassination.
As the investigation into Colonel Voronych's assassination unfolds, the incident is a stark reminder of the high stakes and the deadly tactics employed in the intelligence battleground of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
