FSB Arrests Clerics in Alleged Plot on 'Putin's Confessor'

Russia's FSB detained two church figures over a plot to assassinate priest Tikhon Shevkunov. The arrested, a Russian cleric and a Ukrainian assistant, reportedly conspired under Ukrainian intelligence orders. The case highlights the Kremlin's ongoing tensions with Ukraine, especially considering Shevkunov's ties to Putin.

In a dramatic turn of events, Russia's FSB security service announced the arrest of two church figures accused of plotting to assassinate Tikhon Shevkunov, known as 'Putin's confessor'.

The men, alleged to be under Ukrainian intelligence orders, include a Russian cleric, Nikita Ivankovich, and Denis Popovich, a Ukrainian who was Shevkunov's assistant. The FSB claims they were part of a larger scheme involving an improvised explosive device and fake Ukrainian passports.

Public confessions obtained from the suspects revealed they were tasked with monitoring Shevkunov and orchestrating his assassination via a bomb at the Sretensky Monastery in Moscow. The case underscores the heightened tensions between Russia and Ukraine amidst ongoing geopolitical conflicts.