FSB 'stages' murder of two Russian occupation officials

Channel One reported on September 12, 2022, that the Russian security services had staged the murder of two Russian occupation officials in Nova Kakhovka, Kherson region.

The two officials in question are the deputy head of the administration Vitaly Gura, and Sergei Tomko, whom Channel One described as the "deputy chief of police" of the city.

The assassination of Gura was reported on August 6. RIA Novosti showed footage from a private house with a pool of blood on the floor. Information about the murder of Tomko appeared on July 8.

The story claimed that the real assassination attempts on Tomko and Gura were prepared remotely by Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) officer Ilya Bondarchuk. Allegedly, the locals he contacted to carry out the assassination attempts were communicating with him under FSB control, which allowed the Russian special services to identify and detain members of the "Crimean cell" of the "sabotage group."

The Channel One story came out after the FSB announced on the morning of September 12 that it had stopped a series of terrorist attacks allegedly being prepared in Kherson region and Crimea by the SBU. The SBU has not yet commented on the FSB allegations.

• In the Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine, there are regular attempts on the lives of officials collaborating with the Russian Federation.

Follow Meduza in English on Twitter to stay up to date.