Ukraine Security Service Neutralizes Russian GRU Hit Squad Targeting High Profile Volunteers and Combatants

Ukraine’s SBU eliminates a Russian GRU assassin and detains 10 accomplices in a failed plot to kill volunteer Serhiy Sternenko and fighter Ilya Bogdanov.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 24, 2026, 11:53 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Interfax-Ukraine

A Coordinated Strike Against Foreign Sabotage Groups

In a high stakes special operation personally overseen by the First Deputy Head of the SBU, Oleksandr Poklad, Ukrainian military counterintelligence neutralized a covert action cell managed by Russian military intelligence. The group was actively preparing a series of contract killings aimed at destabilizing the internal security of the country. During the confrontation, a primary assassin, who reportedly originated from the temporarily occupied territories of the Donetsk region, was eliminated after he attempted to use a weapon against SBU special forces. This intervention highlights the ongoing shadow war occurring behind the front lines, as foreign intelligence services attempt to eliminate influential figures within Ukrainian society.

Tracking the Mechanics of a State Sponsored Assassination Plot

The investigation into the neutralized cell revealed a sophisticated hierarchy designed to track and eliminate high profile targets. The SBU identified a forensic expert from Poltava, allegedly recruited within the Russian Federation, who served as the local resident and intelligence coordinator. This individual was responsible for collecting data on the movements and residential addresses of potential victims, which was then transmitted to Russian handlers before being handed off to the liquidator. By utilizing local recruits with professional backgrounds, the GRU attempted to blend intelligence gathering into the daily routines of Ukrainian urban centers, a tactic that was ultimately undone by SBU infiltration.

Target Selection and the Strategic Value of Victims

The intended victims of the failed plot, Serhiy Sternenko and Ilya Bogdanov, represent symbolic targets for Russian intelligence. Sternenko is a prominent volunteer and advisor to the Defense Minister, known for his vocal activism, while Bogdanov is a Russian citizen who has been fighting on the side of Ukraine for over a decade. Targeting such individuals is a calculated move intended to spread fear among the volunteer community and those who have defected from the Russian state. The SBU noted that the conspirators had mapped out specific travel routes and were preparing for a multi layered attack strategy to ensure the "liquidation" of these figures.