In a startling development, Ilya Kiva, a former congressman from Ukraine, was methodically killed close to Moscow, which has increased hostilities between the two countries.
Kiva, a fervent supporter of Ukrainian officials backed by the Kremlin, is said to have played a role in coordinating support for Moscow during the invasion in February. Throughout the current conflict, Ukraine has accused a number of pro-Russian people, including former Ukrainian authorities, of taking part in several killings and attacks.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has discovered a conspiracy to kill Ilya Kiva, an insider in the country’s defence ministry said AFP. Kiva was expelled from parliament last year and has been living in Moscow, where Russian forces had recently started military drills.
According to Russian news reports, Kiva’s body was found in a Moscow suburb on Wednesday.
The military intelligence spokesman for Ukraine, Andriy Yatsouf, said on national television, “We can confirm that Kiva is dead.”