VIDEO // Moldovan and Ukrainian authorities dismantle criminal group planning assassinations in Ukraine

Prosecutors of the Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS), together with police officers have detained four individuals in the Republic of Moldova who were involved in a plan to assassinate several figures from the political and journalistic spheres in Ukraine, as well as their main recruiter, who is believed to have coordinated the scheme. In parallel, the authorities of Ukraine have arrested another seven Moldovan citizens, members of the same criminal group.

International investigation and coordinated measures

To investigate this complex criminal case, the authorities of Chișinău and Kyiv set up a joint investigative team. The arrests followed searches carried out in Kyiv and Odesa, where weapons, ammunition, equipment and communication devices were seized; they were allegedly intended to be used in crimes.

Targeted victims and modus operandi

According to PCCOCS prosecutors, the group’s targets included a well-known journalist listed as an “extremist” in Russia; the head of a strategic state-owned enterprise; and active military personnel of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, including fighters from the Foreign Legion.

“Executioners were to be paid through electronic wallets in order to avoid being exposed by the authorities. Preparations for the assassinations began in December 2025, when two recruits from Moldova traveled to Kyiv under the pretext of working as couriers for a food delivery company, to scout the area and gather information about the victims,” PCCOCS explains.

Subsequently, the main recruiter persuaded another 11 people to take part in the murders, providing them with access to weapons and ammunition and coordinating the study of the victims’ routes and the allocation of roles – from shooters to those tasked with blowing up vehicles.

Profile of those detained

The main recruiter is 30 years old, born in Chișinău, and was previously convicted in Russia for drug trafficking. After being transferred to prisons in Moldova, he maintained contact with coordinators in Russia via the Telegram app.

The other three detainees in Moldova are a cohabiting couple and a young man. The wider group involved in the assassination plot is aged between 19 and 43 and comes from Chișinău, Comrat, Orhei and Tighina. Some of them had previously been investigated for hooliganism or traffic-related offenses.

Legal measures and ongoing investigations

PCCOCS prosecutors have formally charged the four detainees in Moldova and requested 30 days of pre-trial detention to allow the investigation to continue. They benefit from the presumption of innocence throughout the legal proceedings.

Impact and consequences

The joint operation by Moldovan and Ukrainian authorities led to the exposure of a hostile plan and the neutralization of a dangerous criminal group, thereby preventing the commission of planned murders in Ukraine. Moldovan authorities, in cooperation with international partners, are continuing systemic investigations aimed at combating organized crime and hybrid threats. This action highlights the importance of international cooperation and the effectiveness of law enforcement structures in preventing crimes planned on a cross-border scale.