Ukrainian intelligence agents have eliminated members of a Russian spy network accused of assassinating an SBU colonel last week, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced on Sunday.

According to the SBU, the operation targeted agents from Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) suspected of being behind the killing of Colonel Ivan Voronych in Kyiv on Thursday. The agency stated that during the attempted arrest, the suspects resisted, leading to their deaths.

Russian officials have not yet commented on the incident, which echoes previous targeted killings of Russian military figures by Ukraine- operations that have reportedly embarrassed Moscow’s intelligence services.

The SBU believes a man and a woman were responsible for Voronych’s murder. They had allegedly been instructed to monitor his movements and were later directed to a stash location containing a silenced pistol. After carrying out the killing, the suspects attempted to go into hiding but were eventually located by Ukrainian security forces.

While the SBU typically handles security and counterintelligence, since Russia's invasion in 2022 it has taken on a more active role in offensive operations, including sabotage and high-profile assassinations targeting Russian interests.

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