Over 400 Russian mercenaries were sent to Kyiv under orders from the Kremlin to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, The Sunday Times reported on Monday.

The mercenaries were flown in from Africa by the Wagner Group, a private militia run by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, which operates as an “arm-length branch of the state.”

The mercenaries were ordered to assassinate Zelenskky and dissolve Zelenskky’s government in preparation for Moscow to take over Ukraine, with success being rewarded with a generous financial bonus.

According to the report, the Ukrainian government received information about the mercenaries over the weekend and hours later, declared a 36-hour curfew in order to scour the city for Russian saboteurs. Civilians were warned that anyone on the streets could be shot.

The report added that thousands of other Russian mercenaries have been involved in various operations in Ukraine since the beginning of the year.

The Wagner Group often carries out various missions for the Kremlin abroad and has been accused multiple times of serious crimes.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)