Ukraine Reportedly Assassinates Two Pro-Russia Officials

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Facts

  • A former Ukrainian lawmaker who fled to Russia shortly before Moscow's invasion was found dead on the outskirts of the Russian capital on Wednesday. Illia Kyva, 46, was found with a gunshot wound to the head, Russia's Investigative Committee said.1
  • A day before Russia invaded Ukraine in Feb. 2022, Kyva said his home country had been 'soaked by Nazism' and needed 'liberating' by Moscow. Last month, during proceedings that were held in absentia, a Ukrainian court sentenced him to 14 years in prison for charges including treason and incitement to violence.2
  • Since Wednesday's attack, a number of publications — including the BBC and several Ukrainian outlets — have, citing law enforcement and other sources, confirmed that the Security Service of Ukraine, also known as the SBU, was responsible. Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for Ukraine's military intelligence, told Ukrainian TV: 'Yes, we can confirm Kyva is no more. This fate will befall other traitors of Ukraine and puppets of [Russian Pres.] Putin's regime.'3
  • Meanwhile, a second pro-Russia official was also reported killed on Wednesday — this time in the Russian-held Luhansk region. Oleg Popov, a deputy in the region's pro-Russian parliament, died in a car bombing in Luhansk city center. Russia's Investigative Committee said he was killed after the 'detonation of an unidentified device in a car.'4
  • A number of Ukrainian outlets further confirmed that the SBU was also responsible for the second attack. A military source who confirmed the SBU's involvement to the Kyiv Post said the killing was justified because Popov was a 'quite legitimate target.' The source said: 'Before becoming a deputy, he managed many Russian volunteer battalions, led illegal armed formations, and killed Ukrainians.'5
  • Ukraine is suspected of being behind a number of political assassinations in recent months — including Daria Dugina, the daughter of a key ally to Putin, as well as of a number of pro-Russia politicians in Russian-held regions of Ukraine. However, Ukraine did not publicly claim responsibility for those attacks, leaving culpability somewhat ambiguous.6

Sources: 1Associated Press, 2Al Jazeera, 3BBC News, 4Le Monde, 5Kyiv Post and 6The New York Times.

Narratives

  • Pro-Ukraine narrative, as provided by Kyiv Post. Illia Kyva was an infamous traitor to Ukraine, not only defecting to Russia but even calling for the invasion. Such treason cannot be accepted in war time and all who collaborate with Russia will meet the same fate.
  • Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by TASS. This brazen assassination conducted by Ukrainian intelligence was nothing short of state-sponsored terrorism. These types of actions need to be condemned by the international community. Action has to be taken to prevent these types of attacks from happening again.
  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Lieber Institute at West Point. Under the standards of international law on war, committing assassinations is widely considered a war crime. Ukraine's role in a number of suspected assassinations is clearly beyond the scope of the law and should be condemned.

Predictions