Russian Spetsnaz units planned to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other senior officials after the invasion of Ukraine, but Ukrainian Special Operations Forces successfully repelled the attempt on the presidential palace.
In February 2020, Russian Spetsnaz units planned to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other senior officials after the invasion of Ukraine. Russian troops disguised as civilians and Ukrainian soldiers were already embedded in Kyiv before the invasion, and additional mercenaries arrived later. Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SOF) sprang into action as the city came under attack, and after days of fighting, the attempt on the presidential palace was repelled. Since then, both countries’ special forces have been involved in the conflict, with differences in their equipment and tactics. Ukraine’s highly-trained elite units have worked behind enemy lines to disrupt Russian war efforts, while Russia’s special forces have been used for reconnaissance missions and suffered heavy losses. The Security Service of Ukraine’s Alpha Group played a key role in the defense of Kyiv and was involved in the ambush on the Chechen convoy.
