President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s security service announced on Monday that it had thwarted a coup attempt in Ukraine, which they claimed would have “played into Russia’s hands.” This revelation came as Ukrainian forces continued their battle against Russian troops in the eastern part of the country. The news broke just before Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s few European allies, arrived in Kyiv for discussions with Zelenskyy.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) disclosed in a Telegram post that a group of individuals was preparing “a series of provocations” in Kyiv. The group was reportedly led by a co-founder of a public organization known for its “anti-Ukrainian actions” since 2015. However, the SBU did not name the individual or the organization involved.
According to the SBU, the suspects had called for a public gathering in central Kyiv on Sunday. They planned to announce the removal of the country’s military and political leadership and then seize the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament. The SBU stated that the perpetrators aimed to destabilize the social and political situation in Ukraine, which would benefit Russia. However, the SBU did not explicitly confirm whether the Kremlin was behind the plot.
The SBU did not identify the suspects or specify how many people were detained. They are facing charges of attempting to overthrow the constitutional order and seize power, which could result in up to 10 years in prison if convicted. In a separate statement, Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor General mentioned that the group’s leader sought assistance from military personnel and private security guards to execute the plan. The leader had also rented a hall in Kyiv that could accommodate 2,000 people, although the purpose of the hall was not specified. Four individuals have been detained in connection with the plot.
NBC News could not independently verify the details of the alleged coup, which is one of several purported attempts to overthrow the Ukrainian leadership since Putin’s invasion in February 2022. In May, Ukrainian investigators claimed to have foiled a Russian plot to assassinate Zelenskyy and other top officials. Two colonels in the State Guard of Ukraine were detained on suspicion of enacting the plan. Before the Russian invasion, Zelenskyy had also claimed to have intelligence and recordings of a coup plot involving Russians and a Ukrainian billionaire oligarch.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán arrived in Kyiv for talks with Zelenskyy just two days after the coup plot was revealed. Orbán, who describes himself as an “illiberal” leader, has a close personal relationship with Putin. While he and his government have condemned the invasion of Ukraine, they have refrained from criticizing the Russian leader. Orbán has also blocked, delayed, or watered down European Union efforts to assist Ukraine and sanction Russia over the war. Additionally, he has accused Ukraine of infringing on the rights of an ethnic Hungarian minority in the Zakarpattia region, complicating relations between the two countries.
Orbán’s visit coincided with Hungary taking over the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union, a position that holds little real power but can influence the bloc’s agenda. During a news conference after meeting with Zelenskyy, Orbán said he chose Kyiv for his first visit because “peace is an important question” and the war was affecting European security. He suggested reversing the order of peace talks by first establishing a ceasefire, which he believed could expedite the peace process. Orbán expressed gratitude for Zelenskyy’s honest answers and negotiations.
Zelenskyy did not respond directly to Orbán’s comments but mentioned the possibility of a broad bilateral cooperation agreement between Ukraine and Hungary. Separately, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, stated that an “important conversation” about the future of Europe, security, international law, and Zelenskyy’s 10-point Peace Formula had taken place.
Meanwhile, in eastern Ukraine, fierce battles between Ukrainian and Russian forces continued. Moscow’s counteroffensive in the northeastern Kharkiv region appeared to stall as newly committed U.S. military supplies began to arrive.
Source: NBC News, Associated Press
