In Odessa, the murder of the head of the public formation for maintaining public order, "Assistance to Law Enforcement Agencies," businessman Gennady Beybutyan, turned out to be a staged event. Law enforcement agencies thwarted the crime and arrested the instigator, who acted on behalf of Russian special services.
As reported by the press service of the Odessa regional prosecutor's office, the suspect is from Lviv. He received a contract from the Russian special services to kill the Odessa businessman.
The suspect found a "hitman," promising him $80,000 for carrying out the order. He also provided detailed information about the target—photos, habits, and the victim's residence and workplace.
It is stated that the prosecutor's office, together with the SBU and police, prevented the crime. Specifically, they staged the murder of the head of the public formation, providing the contractor with photos and videos featuring the "bloodied victim."
The organizer of the crime was apprehended after presenting "evidence" of the order's completion. His phone was seized, containing correspondence with the Russian curator, along with an "F-1" hand grenade.
The man is currently under detention without the right to bail. The press service reported that his involvement in organizing attacks on the lives of other Ukrainian figures at the request of Russian special services, as well as other crimes against the foundations of national security in Ukraine, is being investigated:
"According to preliminary data, in September 2024, the suspect arrived in Odessa to carry out another assignment from the Russian special services—organizing the elimination of a well-known Odessa public activist for a reward of $100,000."
The name of the second potential victim has not been disclosed.
The Lviv resident has been informed of the suspicion of attempted premeditated murder, committed by order, and illegal handling of military supplies (part 2 of article 15 p. 6, p. 11 part 2 of article 115, part 1 of article 263 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
According to the SBU, the murder of the businessman was ordered by the Russian special service, which aimed to carry out a "demonstrative" elimination of a figure who publicly supported mobilization. Thus, the enemy sought to instill panic and destabilize the socio-political situation in the region.
"However, Ukrainian law enforcement agencies conducted a multi-step operation and simulated the murder to locate and apprehend the covert enemy agent. He turned out to be a 43-year-old citizen of Ukraine, who came to the attention of Russian special services in 2017 while working in the security service of one of the Russian oligarchic clans. After the full-scale invasion, contact with him was reestablished," reported the SBU.
To prevent the murder of the businessman and gather evidence against the agent, SBU officers presented a potential "executor" of the murder to him. The fake "hitman" operated under the control of law enforcement: he purchased a pistol with cartridges, "completed" the assignment, and filmed the "dead body" of the victim on his phone.
It is also clarified that the suspect had the hand grenade in his possession during the arrest in a public place.
"It has also been established that after successfully carrying out the murder, the Russian special services planned to order the killings of other activists with a public pro-Ukrainian stance," added the SBU.
Law enforcement apprehended the Russian agent in the act while he was about to hand over "evidence" of the ordered murder to his curator from Russia. The issue of additional qualification of the detained individual's criminal actions under part 2 of article 111 (treason committed in wartime) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine is currently being considered. The perpetrator faces life imprisonment with confiscation of property.
4© photo t.me/SBUkr 5© photo t.me/SBUkr 6© photo t.me/SBUkr 7© photo t.me/SBUkr 8© photo t.me/SBUkrThe regional department of the National Police clarified that the murder of a 56-year-old Odessa resident, businessman, was staged. It is specified that the organizer was to be paid $80,000 for the murder, of which $70,000 was promised to the executor.
As clarified by UNIAN in law enforcement agencies, this refers to the ordered murder of businessman Gennady Beybutyan.
Important news from Odessa - what has already been reported
Recall that the police reported that on October 18, a body with gunshot wounds was found on the roadside in the suburbs of Odessa. Local public figures stated that it was Gennady Beybutyan.
Activist Dmytro Hanul noted that the "Assistance to Law Enforcement Agencies" is a formation that patrols the city together with the police during curfew. He also stated that the organization is involved in a scheme to "make money" on identification cards for participants of the formation, which provides an exemption from mobilization.