Following the failure of an assassination plan, Ukrainian President Zelensky fires the head of his bodyguard

On Thursday, the head of the department in charge of Volodymyr Zelensky’s personal protection was fired by the president of Ukraine, following the detention of two of its officers this week on suspicion of plotting his assassination.

“Dismiss Sergiy Leonidovich Rud from the post of head of the State Protection Department of Ukraine,” was the directive that Zelensky published.

It did not provide an explanation for Rud’s dismissal or identify someone to take over the extremely delicate role.

The declaration followed the SBU security service of Ukraine’s Tuesday announcement that it had thwarted a Russian plot to kill Zelensky and other high-ranking officials.

It said it had detained two colonels from the bodyguard department on suspicion of passing secret information to Russia’s rival FSB security service.

One of them, it alleged, had personally provided rocket rounds, drones and anti-personnel mines for an agent to carry out attacks.

Rud, 47, had headed the department — which oversees the personal security of the president, other senior officials and their families — since 2019.

Zelensky has been a target for Russia since it invaded in February 2022. He said last year that he was aware of at least “five or six” foiled assassination plots against him.