On Cam: Gunman Kills Ukraine Intel Agent in Kyiv; Officials Probe ‘Targeted Assassination'
According to a spokesperson for the SBU, who spoke to CNN, the officer was fatally shot outside an apartment building in Kyiv.
A high-ranking officer from Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) was shot dead in Kyiv on Thursday morning in what Ukrainian authorities described to CNN as an apparent targeted assassination. The killing, which took place in broad daylight in the capital city, has prompted an urgent investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies.
According to a spokesperson for the SBU, who spoke to CNN, the officer was fatally shot outside an apartment building in Kyiv. The security agency confirmed that an investigation was underway but withheld the officer's identity pending further inquiries. CNN reported that Ukrainian police and intelligence units are now working jointly to identify and apprehend the perpetrator.
Surveillance footage from a nearby CCTV camera—widely circulated on local Telegram channels and reviewed by CNN—appears to show the chilling moment of the attack. Although CNN has not independently verified the video, the surroundings in the clip match official photographs released by Kyiv Police. In the silent footage, a man exits a residential building carrying bags and walks toward a parked vehicle. Suddenly, a masked gunman approaches and appears to shoot him at close range. After the victim collapses, the attacker fires again before fleeing on foot. A passerby is seen running from the scene in panic.
The SBU plays a central role in Ukraine's national security apparatus and has led several high-profile operations against Russian interests. CNN previously reported that SBU agents were responsible for 'Operation Spiderweb," a daring drone strike campaign that targeted Russian military airfields deep inside enemy territory. The operation resulted in the destruction and damage of multiple strategic aircraft, including bombers and surveillance planes—delivering a significant blow to Moscow's aerial capabilities.
CNN has also reported that the SBU was allegedly behind the assassination of Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, a top Russian military official accused of deploying chemical weapons. The killing of the SBU officer this week raises fresh concerns about the escalating covert warfare between Ukrainian and Russian intelligence operatives.
Authorities in Kyiv have yet to publicly link Thursday's assassination to Russia or its intelligence agencies, but the incident marks another deadly episode in Ukraine's ongoing shadow war.
view comments
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
20 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Zelenskyy faces backlash as Ukrainians protest new anti-corruption law
KYIV: Ukrainian activists called for more protests against a law they say weakens the country's anti-corruption bodies. The legislation has also drawn rebukes from European Union officials and international rights groups. Thousands of people gathered in the capital and other cities across Ukraine on Tuesday evening to urge President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to veto the controversial bill passed by Ukraine's Parliament earlier that day, which tightens government oversight of two key anti-corruption agencies. After Zelenskyy approved it, activists called on social media for another demonstration in the center of Kyiv at 8 pm on Wednesday. Critics say the step could significantly weaken the independence of those agencies and grant Zelenskyy's circle greater influence over investigations. Fighting entrenched corruption is crucial for Ukraine's aspirations to join the EU and maintain access to billions of dollars in Western aid in its fight against Russia's three-year invasion. Instead of vetoing the bill as protestors demanded, Zelenskyy signed it into law and argued for it, in a move that risked his public support after more than three years of war with Russia. Zelenskyy said the measure clears out 'Russian influence' from the fight against corruption and ensures punishment for those found guilty of it, after what he said were yearslong delays in criminal proceedings involving huge amounts of money. 'This is what Ukraine really needs,' Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post after midnight Wednesday. 'The cases that have been lying dormant must be investigated.' 'For years, officials who have fled Ukraine have been casually living abroad for some reason – in very nice countries and without legal consequences – and this is not normal,' he said. He didn't provide examples of what he said was Russian interference.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
20 minutes ago
- First Post
How EU's new sanctions on Russia reveal West's colonial hangover
The new EU sanctions are not about hurting Russia anymore—they are about telling India how to behave read more The EU hasn't banned the purchase of Russian oil altogether. It has merely imposed a price cap, while pressuring others, like India, to stop refining or shipping that same oil. Image: REUTERS On July 18, the European Union (EU) imposed its 18th round of sanctions on Russia since the Ukraine war began. Among the fresh targets was an unexpected name: the Vadinar oil refinery in Gujarat, India, operated by Nayara Energy, in which Russian oil giant Rosneft holds a 49 per cent stake. Not stopping there, the EU went further to designate the Indian flag register itself, signalling that ships flying the Indian tricolour could be targeted if they are suspected of transporting Russian oil. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD And yet, in a peculiar twist of logic, the EU hasn't banned the purchase of Russian oil altogether. It has merely imposed a price cap 15 per cent below the prevailing market rate, allowing itself to continue energy imports from Russia while pressuring others, like India, to stop refining or shipping that same oil. What does this imply? The EU wants to buy Russian oil, just not if it's touched by Indian hands. This is not a geopolitical strategy grounded in consistency or fairness. It reeks of hypocrisy. The Sham of Sanction Morality Since the war in Ukraine broke out in 2022, Western capitals have scrambled to impose sanctions on Russia, penalising its banks, banning technology exports, freezing assets, and restricting energy exports. The intention was to cripple Russia's war machine by starving it of funds. However, as months passed, the West itself quietly resumed or continued many of these same transactions under different guises. India, like any rational state, saw an opportunity in discounted Russian crude. As Western buyers moved away (at least on paper), India ramped up its purchases, now exceeding one million barrels per day. This oil, heavily discounted, has helped New Delhi manage inflation, stabilise its energy supply, and ensure growth for 140 crore citizens. This pragmatism hasn't gone unnoticed in Washington and Brussels. But instead of acknowledging their own continued dependence on Russian energy, particularly natural gas, the West has targeted Indian refiners, shippers, and institutions. The new EU sanctions are not about hurting Russia anymore. They are about telling India how to behave. The underlying assumption is simple: the West sets the rules; the rest of the world must follow. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Energy for Whom? Let's dissect the numbers. In 2022 alone, the EU paid over $120 billion to Russia for fossil fuels. This included oil, natural gas, and coal. Compare this with India's total bill: about $50 billion—less than half of Europe's. Who, then, is fuelling the Russian economy? Spain and Belgium were among the top LNG importers from Russia. Germany, after shutting down pipeline imports post-Ukraine invasion, began receiving Russian LNG via its ports. Italy has also continued to buy Russian-origin oil, sometimes routed through third countries. Even the United States, which claims moral superiority, continues importing vital commodities from Russia. Case in point: uranium. Nearly 20 per cent of the uranium used in American nuclear power plants still comes from Russia. So much for an embargo. When national interests are involved, moral grandstanding takes a back seat. India Pushes Back India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has not taken this duplicity lying down. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal responded firmly: 'Securing the energy needs of our people is understandably an overriding priority for us.' That's the crux. In an energy-starved country with burgeoning demand, fuel isn't just an economic issue; it's a developmental necessity. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, too, asserted that India is well-prepared to navigate sanctions, noting that India today buys oil from over 40 countries compared to just 27 in the past. Diversification, not dependency, has been India's guiding principle. Moreover, the MEA has expressed serious concern over reports of the United States planning a 500 per cent tariff on countries continuing to buy Russian oil, an undeclared threat aimed squarely at India. The very idea that a sovereign country could be penalised for making independent choices that benefit its people is absurd, but it reveals the West's real aim: control. Nato's Hypocrisy: The Case of Turkey If these sanctions were truly about punishing Russian partners, why is Turkey, another country buying Russian oil and even hosting the TurkStream gas pipeline, not under similar fire? Turkey, a NATO member, bought Russian S-400 missile systems in 2019. The US did impose minor sanctions on Turkish defence entities, but Ankara remains a Nato member and continues to transact with Moscow. The Western world makes exceptions for Turkey because of its strategic geography. India, by contrast, is expected to follow the West's orders or face consequences. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Sovereignty Is Not for Sale The EU's latest move sanctioning an Indian refinery and targeting Indian-flagged vessels isn't about stopping Russian oil. It's about sending a message to India: fall in line, or be punished. This is an affront to Indian sovereignty. The Vadinar refinery processes oil not just for India but for international clients, including European ones. Europe has happily purchased refined products from India, even when they originated from Russian crude. So Europe pays India for processed fuels while penalising India for importing the crude used to make them. It is hypocrisy of the highest order. India's position is clear. It is not buying oil to finance a war. It is buying oil to power its economy. And unless the West is willing to completely cut off its energy ties with Moscow, which it won't, it has no moral authority to lecture India. The Global South and the New Multipolarity This episode illustrates a broader truth: the era of unipolar Western dominance is fading. Countries like India, China, Brazil, and others in the Global South are asserting their economic sovereignty and refusing to toe Western lines blindly. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India has extended humanitarian aid to Ukraine, spoken to both Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin, and consistently called for dialogue. But it has also made it clear: national interest comes first. We will not compromise our energy security because the West wants a moral trophy. This is not just an issue of oil. It is an issue of global fairness. The West cannot continue creating a two-tier system where its interests are sacrosanct and others' interests are expendable. A Test of Global Leadership If the EU and the US want to lead, they must do so by example. Leadership isn't about coercion. It's about consistency and integrity. You cannot ask India to stop doing what you continue to do behind closed doors. It is time to call out the Western bluff. The sanctions regime, as it stands, is neither effective nor equitable. It is simply a mechanism to enforce Western will under the guise of international morality. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India must stay the course—firm, unyielding, and self-assured. We don't owe anyone an explanation for prioritising our people's needs. We are not a vassal state. We are a rising power. And we will decide our path, not Washington, not Brussels. Conclusion The EU's 18th round of sanctions has exposed more than it has achieved. It has revealed the moral bankruptcy of a West that wants to have its oil and lecture others, too. For India, this is not just a diplomatic challenge. It is a test of resolve. We must never forget: the ultimate responsibility of any government is to its people. As long as Russian oil provides a reliable and affordable option, we should not be cowed into abandoning it. Let the West fix its reactions before pointing fingers. India stands for peace, yes. But India also stands for sovereignty. And that is not negotiable. The writer is a technocrat, political analyst, and author. He pens national, geopolitical, and social issues. His social media handle is @prosenjitnth. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
20 minutes ago
- First Post
Were Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump friends? After birthday card, now wedding photo haunts Potus
Disgraced American financier Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump once had the same social circle. Now, new images from the US president's 1993 wedding to Marla Maples proves that they were not just acquaintances. These new visuals emerge just a week after a news report stated that the American leader had sent the financier a racy card for his 50th birthday read more Commuters walk past a bus stop near Nine Elms Station as activists put up a poster showing President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein near the US Embassy in London. AP Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced American financier who was accused of running a sex trafficking ring of underage girls, died in 2019. But his death has turned into a nightmare for US President Donald Trump, who has come under intense scrutiny for his ties with the convicted felon. Now, even as many Americans demand for more disclosures from the Epstein Files, CNN has uncovered archived video footage and photos about Trump's past relationship with Epstein. Notably, this comes at a very difficult time for the US president — just last week, the Wall Street Journal published a report in which it stated that Trump had sent a card to Epstein for his 50th birthday, featuring a sketch of a naked woman and a typed note that read, 'Happy Birthday, and may every day be another wonderful secret.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Epstein spotted at Trump's wedding In December 1993, Donald Trump, then a wealthy business tycoon, tied the knot with American singer and television personality Marla Maples. The two exchanged their 'I dos' at a grand function at New York's Plaza Hotel. Now, 30 years later, CNN has accessed archival images from the event which show Jeffrey Epstein in attendance. High-society photographer Dafydd Jones, who was present at the wedding and tasked with taking photos, told CNN that among the photos he took was one of Epstein entering the event. 'I wish now I took more of him with Trump,' he told the American media outlet. 'I had the job of photographing the Trump wedding, so I stood with the press and photographed him. The image you have is from the contact sheet — the negatives were lost.' NEW via CNN / @KFILE: Newly uncovered archived video footage and photos reveal fresh details about Donald Trump's past relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Photos from 1993 confirm for the first time that Epstein attended Trump's 1993 wedding to Marla Maples. In addition,… — MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) July 22, 2025 Another photo, this time from the LIFE's archives, shows Epstein smiling in the background — his head is just visible as other attendees take a group picture. CNN's Andrew Kaczynski, whose team uncovered the images, told OutFront of the new reporting, 'Although we know that Trump and Epstein were friends during this period, this is really the first time that it's actually been reported that Trump invited Epstein to his wedding.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD When CNN asked the now US president about the wedding images, he replied: 'You've got to be kidding me,' adding that CNN was 'fake news' and then hung up. Later, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said in a statement, 'These are nothing more than out-of-context frame grabs of innocuous videos and pictures of widely attended events to disgustingly infer something nefarious. 'The fact is that the President kicked him out of his club for being a creep. This is nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by the Democrats and the liberal media.' Trump, Epstein and Victoria's Secret Adding to the heaping pile of evidence of their close friendship are visuals from a 1999 Victoria's Secret fashion show in New York. The video shows the US president and financier laughing and chatting ahead of the runway event. A person walks by an image of US President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, along with the words 'President Trump: Release All the Epstein Files', projected onto the US Department of Commerce headquarters in Washington, DC. AFP Trump's birthday wish to Epstein CNN's reporting follows a bombshell report last week from The Wall Street Journal describing a birthday card Trump was said to have sent Epstein for his 50th birthday. The US media outlet stated that Trump told Epstein in the card, 'May every day be another wonderful secret.' It also featured lines of typewritten text framed by a drawing of a naked woman, with Trump's name signed below the woman's waist. The president denied to the Journal that he wrote the letter or drew the picture. 'I never wrote a picture in my life. I don't draw pictures of women,' he told the Journal. 'It's not my language. It's not my words.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Later, he also sued the publication, seeking at least $20 billion in compensation. Trump's legal team accused the Journal's parent company of engaging in 'glaring failures in journalistic ethics and standards of accurate reporting.' Many of his supporters such as far-right influencer Laura Loomer also called the letter 'totally fake.' She wrote on X: 'Everyone who actually knows President Trump knows he doesn't type letters. He writes notes in big black Sharpie.' Parties, private jets and a 'terrific guy' The images uncovered by CNN and the previous reporting by Wall Street Journal are just latest on the friendship that Trump and Epstein once shared. In fact, it is reported that the two first met around the time Trump bought Mar-a-Lago in 1985, when Epstein was also living in Palm Beach. Since then, the pair have been pictured together at various events and social dos. A display of their close ties was when Trump flew on Epstein's private jet at least seven times during the 1990s, according to flight logs presented in court and cited by US media. The US president has denied this, and in 2024 said he was 'never on Epstein's plane'. In a 2002, Trump even told New York Magazine that Epstein was a 'terrific guy'. 'He's a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side,' Trump said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD People holds signs calling for the release of files regarding late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. File image/AFP A falling out However, the friendship between Epstein and Trump wasn't to last. Speaking in July 2019, just days after Epstein was charged with sex trafficking, Trump was eager to clarify that there pair were no longer friends – and hadn't been for quite some time. 'I had a falling out with him,' said the US president. 'I haven't spoken to him in 15 years. I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you.' But what caused a souring in their friendship? It was a property deal. In 2004, a Palm Beach property came up for grabs — an oceanfront mansion called Maison de l'Amitie, or the House of Friendship. The property was being sold as a result of its previous owner Abe Gosman's bankruptcy, and according to a Washington Post report, both Epstein and Trump were keen to get their hands on it. What ensued was an outright bidding war between the two men for the estate, which Trump eventually won. But it left a sour taste in Trump's mouth and the two went their separate ways. Trump even claimed that barred Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago estate, and the pair were never photographed together again. 'He's a real creep, I banned him," Trump is reported to have told his former aide, Sam Nunberg. Trump's Epstein Files saga continues Since coming to office, it seems that the Epstein files have become a noose around Trump's neck. Earlier this month, the US Justice Department claimed that there is no evidence that Epstein maintained a 'client list' that named or implicated others in alleged sex crimes. This has angered many of Trump's core followers, including Tucker Carlson and former 'First Buddy' Elon Musk. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Amid this ongoing controversy, the Justice Department announced that it is in touch with an attorney for Ghislaine Maxwell, a long time associate of Epstein, to try to arrange a meeting with her in the coming days. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the plan on social media, saying that the department is seeking any information from Maxwell — who is serving time for sex trafficking — as part of its quest to uncover 'all credible evidence' in the Epstein case. With inputs from agencies
