Epress.am News from Armenia
Russian and Ukrainian special services have arrested a group of suspects accused of attempting to assassinate Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Russia’s state television said Monday.
The Channel One said that the suspects were plotting to kill Putin in Moscow immediately after the Mar. 4 presidential election, in which he is all but certain to reclaim the presidency, USA Today reported.
The group, the subject of an international arrest warrant, was arrested in the Ukrainian Black Sea town of Odessa after arriving there from the United Arab Emirates via Turkey, Russia’s Channel One reported. The suspects were acting on the orders of Doku Umarov, a Chechen rebel who has previously claimed responsibility for attacks in Russia, Bloomberg reported, citing the state-run television channel.
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the report to the ITAR-Tass news agency, but refused to make any further comment.
Russian and Ukrainian special services wouldn’t comment on the report.
Earlier this month, the Ukrainian Security Service said it detained three Russian citizens on terrorist charges in Odessa on Feb. 4. It wasn’t immediately clear whether those suspects were linked to the anti-Putin plot.
The Ukrainian Security Service said the suspects were arrested following an accidental explosion that happened while they were trying to manufacture explosives at a rented apartment.