Ukraine Thwarts Russian FSB-Assassination Plot Against Da Vinci Wolves Commander

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has foiled a Russian FSB-orchestrated assassination attempt on Serhiy Filimonov, commander of the 108th Separate Battalion known as the “Da Vinci Wolves.” Russian intelligence recruited a veteran from Kamianske by impersonating SBU officers and deceiving him into believing he was working for Ukraine to neutralize a supposed Russian collaborator, when in fact the target was Filimonov. The FSB manipulated the man’s patriotic beliefs through fabricated accusations of treason, forged summons for interrogation, and fake recruitment paperwork to pressure him into cooperating. Upon arriving in Kyiv, he was ordered to surveil Filimonov and provide intelligence, including photos and coordinates, under false pretenses that Filimonov was a traitor responsible for directing missile strikes on Kyiv. The SBU detained the man armed and equipped, seizing communications with his FSB handlers, and charged him with illegal possession of weapons. This case highlights a new false-flag tactic used by the FSB, where agents pose as Ukrainian security service personnel to recruit operatives for covert missions against Ukraine.