Press center of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) reported that russia planned to create “people’s republics” in the Western regions of Ukraine. Russian efforts aiming to overthrow the constitutional government of Ukraine have been ongoing since the summer of 2021.
The SSU has released a video recording the interrogation of a member of a criminal group who agreed to cooperate with the investigation.
The man was recruited by a former employee of russia’s intelligence who was managing the “operation”. He suggested establishing a new “democracy” in Ukraine. If the existing government would not be willing to resign, the plan was to overthrow it by force.
“To take over the government, the criminal organization was intending to enroll and arm 500 mercenaries from former combatants of the antiterrorist operation in the East of Ukraine,” - noted the SSU.
This plan was to be implemented concurrently with russia’s full-scale invasion into Ukraine. However, due to the efforts of the SSU, in early March the criminal network was exposed and its organizer and key members were detained in Ivano-Frankivsk and Khmelnytskyy regions.
One of the facilitators has admitted his guilt and testified against the organizer. Relevant prosecution materials have been submitted to the court.
Russians persistently tried to establish a “people’s republic” in Kherson region, similarly to the ones earlier created in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. However, local residents and the municipal government reject any cooperation with russian occupants.