Russian Suspect Jailed in Poland Over Planned Assassination of Ukrainian-American Rapper in Warsaw

Following an Internal Security Agency arrest on August 7, Prime Minister Donald Tusk revealed that a Russian operative plotted to assassinate a Ukrainian-American vlogger in Warsaw on Moscow’s orders.

ABW Arrests Russian Operative in Warsaw

The Internal Security Agency detained a Russian national on August 7. Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Thursday, August 13, that the man was planning an assassination in Warsaw targeting an individual with dual Ukrainian and American citizenship.

Target Identified as Rapper Kiyvstoner

According to unofficial information gathered by RMF FM reporter Krzysztof Zasada, the Russian planned to assassinate Albert Vasilyev, a Ukrainian rapper and video blogger also known as Slevin Dadyan or “Kiyvstoner.” RMF FM reports that Russia’s Federal Security Service accused Vasilyev of supervising and managing the logistics of delivering drones to the Moscow region.

FSB Allegations and Terrorism Listing

According to the FSB, the drones were used for attacks on strategic sites in and around Moscow, and were allegedly smuggled from Slovakia through Poland and Belarus. RMF FM reported that the Ukrainian was added to a list of individuals involved in extremist and terrorist activities. Russian authorities claim Vasilyev cooperates with Ukrainian special services, though the rapper denies these allegations.

Tusk Highlights Threat from Putin Regime

Tusk stated that the target of the Russian plot was “inconvenient from the point of view of Putin’s regime.” The prime minister emphasized that thanks to the action of the ABW and police, the execution was prevented at the last moment.

The prime minister added that this is the first situation where someone acting on Russian orders decided to target an American citizen on the territory of another NATO country, specifically in Poland and Warsaw. Tusk stated that they avoided the worst and must assume the Putin regime will attempt to eliminate people inconvenient for various reasons.

Prosecution and Charges

The prosecutor’s office charged the Russian with preparing for murder, and the court applied a three-month pre-trial detention. Accepting a contract killing carries a penalty of two to 15 years in prison. The man is currently being held in the investigative detention center in Warsaw’s Białołęka district.