Kyiv Claims Responsibility for Assassination of Pro-Kremlin Ukrainian Politician

Kyiv has announced that it orchestrated the assassination of a pro-Kremlin Ukrainian politician after the body of a former Ukrainian deputy who defected and joined Russia was found outside Moscow. A source in the Ukrainian defense sector stated that Ukrainian security services planned the assassination of former Ukrainian deputy Illya Kyva, who was expelled from parliament and defected in support of Russia weeks after Moscow launched its military offensive last year. Russian news agencies reported that Kyva's body was discovered on Wednesday in the suburbs of Moscow. Ukrainian military intelligence spokesperson Andrii Yusov stated in an interview with Ukrainian television, "We can confirm that Kyva is finished. Other traitors of Ukraine will meet a similar fate, as will the followers of the Putin regime." Yusov described Kyva as "one of the biggest scoundrels and traitors and collaborators, and his demise is justice." Kyiv has rarely publicly claimed responsibility for the killings of pro-Moscow figures, either inside Russia or in parts of Ukraine occupied by Russian forces, but it has recently taken responsibility for some attacks and openly threatened to pursue "collaborators and traitors."