Adversary Intelligence Services — 2026-03-31

GRU-Directed Spy Ring Planning Contract Killings of Ukrainian Military Personnel Dismantled in Kyiv

Ukrainian security forces dismantled a Russian GRU-directed intelligence network planning contract killings of well-known public figures and Ukrainian Defense Forces commanders in Kyiv and surrounding regions. The operation was coordinated by a 39-year-old GRU handler from the Kubinka Special Training Center operating under call sign Meteor. Four individuals were detained, including a law enforcement officer and a security firm head who facilitated logistics. The network used vehicles equipped with flashing lights to evade detection. Law enforcement seized weapons, ammunition, spare SIM cards, and mobile phones from caches in Kyiv and Cherkasy regions.

Analysis
The GRU's use of the Kubinka Special Training Center, a military intelligence facility known for training Spetsnaz and foreign proxy forces, confirms this was not a freelance operation but a directed intelligence tasking. The infiltration of a law enforcement officer into the network demonstrates the GRU's continued ability to recruit within Ukrainian state institutions despite wartime counterintelligence efforts. The assassination targeting pattern (public figures and commanders) mirrors GRU Unit 29155's documented operational profile.

2 sources

Russian spy ring planning contract murders of military personnel and volunteers foiled in Kyiv and Kyiv region - Ukrinform
Russian spy network planning contract killings dismantled in Kyiv - Ukrainska Pravda