“I’m already sitting on it”: SBU head reveals details about the “madam” who shot Sternenko

The date of the assassination attempt was not accidental.

Volunteer Serhiy Sternenko became the target of the Russians’ assassination attempt because he had already deployed almost 200,000 FPV drones to the front for more than 600 units. This was stated by the head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasyl Malyuk, at a meeting with journalists.

He noted that Sternenko is a leader among volunteers who collect and transfer drones to our military. Malyuk noted that the date of the assassination attempt was not accidental.

“This is a certain symbolic day for the enemy and, at the same time, for us. Serhiy was one of those who did not give the enemy the opportunity to create the “Bessarabian People’s Republic” in Odessa in 2014. Serhiy was in the vanguard of those who supported the state position with yellow-blue banners. That is why they wanted to take revenge on him on this day. And this is not the first attempt on Serhiy, but the fourth,” he said.

According to him, the SBU understood, based on the analysis of materials and the complex of operational and technical measures, that the assassination attempt could happen soon, but at that time they had not yet seen the “perpetrator”.

At the same time, he said that he invited Sternenko to his place and “he was provided with professional security.”

“On May 2, Serhiy leaves the entrance in the morning, his civilian assistant comes first, Serhiy comes second, and the third is an employee of the Central Security Service A. And near the entrance, a woman opens fire from both hands in Serhiy’s back, who at first glance does not arouse any suspicion,” the head of the SBU recalled the story of the assassination attempt.

According to him, the service officer, who came out third, acted professionally: he shortened the distance, knocked out the gun, and immobilized her.

“By the way, when he was already “sitting” on it, our head of the counterintelligence department, who was conducting this case, called him and said: “We figured out, there’s a lady like that, she rented an apartment nearby, she’s going to carry out an assassination attempt.” He said: “But I’m already “sitting” on it. Order,” – Malyuk said about the detention.

He emphasized that the systematic work of the Service made it possible to prevent the murder of Serhiy Sternenko.

“The enemy was nearby, we understood that the FSB was half an hour ahead of us, but we blocked it by increasing the level of physical security against a kinetic strike,” the SBU head added.

Attempted assassination of Sternenko

As UNIAN reported, the attacker who tried to kill volunteer and activist Serhiy Sternenko, on behalf of the Russian special services, had previously lived with him in the same house in Kyiv and monitored all his movements.

According to the investigation, she is a 45-year-old native of the Odessa region who lived in the capital. It was established that she was recruited by Russian special services in late 2024 when she was looking for a “quick money” on the Internet. The investigation is currently ongoing.

The woman has already been informed of the suspicion . The figurehead is charged with committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 111 (“high treason committed under martial law”); Part 2 of Article 15, Part 2 of Article 27 and Part 2 of Article 115 (“completed attempted murder for selfish motives, committed to order, by prior conspiracy by a group of persons”) of the Criminal Code. The detainee faces up to 15 years in prison.

(C)UNIAN 2025