FSB Thwarts Alleged Assassination Plot on 'Putin's Confessor'

The Russian FSB claims to have foiled a Ukrainian plot to assassinate Tikhon Shevkunov, a high-ranking Russian Orthodox priest and associate of President Putin. Two suspects have been detained. Ukraine's military intelligence has been linked to several assassinations since the 2022 conflict, but Kyiv has yet to respond to this recent allegation.

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Friday the prevention of an alleged assassination attempt by Ukraine's military intelligence against Tikhon Shevkunov, a senior figure in Russia's Orthodox Church. Officials in Kyiv have not yet addressed the claim.

Referred to by Russian media as 'Putin's confessor,' Shevkunov has been publicly linked to President Vladimir Putin since the late 1990s. In 2023, he was elevated to metropolitan of Crimea, underscoring his prominent role in the Russian Orthodox Church. The Crimean peninsula, where he serves, was annexed by Russia in 2014.

The FSB reported that authorities detained a Russian and a Ukrainian national related to the plot, confiscating an improvised explosive device. According to officials, the suspects confessed to the plan, which they alleged had been orchestrated by Ukraine via the Telegram messaging app since mid-2024.

(With inputs from agencies.)