Ukrainian Special Services Behind Attempted Murder of Opposition Blogger Shariy - Source

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate attempted to assassinate Anatoly Shariy, a Ukrainian blogger and vocal Kiev regime critic, and pin the blame on Moscow, a Russian law enforcement source told Sputnik Tuesday.

"The circumstances of the organization of the attempted murder of popular Ukrainian blogger Anatoly Shariy, who lives in Spain, have been established. Once again, Ukraine's special services are behind the terrorist action against a journalist undesirable to the Kiev regime," the source said.

"According to the data received, the preparation of the assassination attempt on March 6, 2024, was carried out by the Main Intelligence Directorate ... which, in close cooperation with the Security Service, developed a 'false flag' operation with the aim of physically eliminating the blogger, while placing responsibility for his murder on Russia. The operation was directly supervised by the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Kyrylo Budanov," the source added.

Spanish law enforcement officials did not take the investigation into the circumstances of the assassination attempt seriously, the source said, adding that they did not go to inspect the scene of the assassination attempt and did not interview witnesses.

❗️A Ukrainian agent, following orders of a handler, who was instructed by the head of the SBU, Vasily Malyuk, remotely orchestrated the explosion of a former Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) employee’s car in Moscow, the FSB reported. https://t.co/G5wAHYrg5o

— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) April 16, 2024

"On behalf of the Russian special services, Ukrainian agents recruited participants in the assassination attempt from among ethnic Ukrainians living in Spain and representatives of local criminals. As part of the operation, surveillance was carried out, traffic routes were identified, weapons were delivered and handed over to the criminals," the source said.