In a shocking development in Ukraine, crime boss and suspected recruiter of prisoners for combat, Mr. Sargsyan, has reportedly been killed in an assassination attempt that was meticulously planned. The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) had identified Sargsyan as a suspect in recruiting inmates to fight in the ongoing conflict, and he had been on an international wanted list since May 2014 due to his alleged involvement in murders in Kyiv.
Sargsyan was known to be part of the inner circle of Viktor Yanukovych, a former president of Ukraine who fled the country amid political turmoil. The SBU’s investigation into Sargsyan’s assassination is ongoing, with law enforcement officials working to uncover who orchestrated the attack. Eyewitness accounts describe a scene of devastation, with debris littering the area following a powerful explosion that damaged the entrance of his residence.
Residents near the site of the blast expressed their fear and confusion over the incident. Olga Voronova, a local mother of three, stated that despite the presence of security measures, the explosion left her feeling unsafe. "We have quite serious security guards, they ask every car at the checkpoints," she noted, highlighting the unexpected nature of the attack.
Born in Gorlovka, a town in the Donetsk region currently under Russian occupation, Sargsyan was recognized for his leadership of a special forces battalion known as "Arbat." This unit has been active in the Kursk region of Russia, where Ukrainian forces have recently launched offensive operations. Additionally, he held the position of head of the Boxing Federation of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, further establishing his influence in the area.
The assassination of Sargsyan is part of a broader pattern of violence targeting high-profile supporters of Russia’s actions in Ukraine. Recent months have seen several attacks on such individuals, including the deaths of a senior Russian naval officer and a prison chief in car bomb incidents in occupied Ukraine. In December, a high-ranking general and his assistant were reportedly killed in Moscow, allegedly by Ukraine’s security service, indicating an escalation in targeted operations amidst the ongoing conflict.
As investigations into Sargsyan’s death continue, the implications of this incident may reverberate through the already tense landscape of Ukrainian-Russian relations, highlighting the volatile nature of the conflict and the lengths to which various factions are willing to go in pursuit of their objectives.