Investigators report that a 38-year-old Ukrainian man, a former soldier with combat and reconnaissance experience, agreed to carry out a contract killing for Russian representatives in exchange for $100,000.
He was given an advance of $10,000 to prepare for the crime. After that, he began gathering information about the victim, their daily life, and place of residence.
The suspect repeatedly visited the area where the GUR representative lived, studying the details of the location and possible escape routes after the crime.
After obtaining all the necessary information, he decided to use an FPV drone to carry out the crime and began looking for an operator with the appropriate skills.
To ensure secrecy, discussions of the crime were conducted under the guise of a construction project: the “murder” was called “the build,” the client was the “foreman,” the perpetrator was the “laborer,” and the murder weapon was referred to as a “tool” or “cement.”
Thanks to a combination of investigative and operational measures, law enforcement officers uncovered the preparations for the crime and prevented it from being carried out.
The suspect was detained on June 4 and was notified of his status as a suspect in organizing preparations for a premeditated murder committed for financial gain, on commission, and by prior conspiracy among a group of individuals.
The issue of imposing a preventive measure in the form of detention is currently being decided.
Investigative actions are ongoing to identify the person who ordered the crime, possible accomplices, and all the circumstances surrounding the preparation of the crime.
