Ukraine Crisis Appeal: World Vision Emergency Communications specialist Brianna Piazza reports. Video / World Vision / Getty
Wagner Group assassins have entered Ukraine with orders to kill Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his leadership team, Ukrainian intelligence says.
Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, "personally ordered another attack by one of his proxies", the directorate said, but "all previous attempts ended in the failure and elimination of terrorists".
Targets includeZelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, Denys Shmyhal, the prime minister, and Andriy Yermak, the presidential chief of staff.
A little over a week into the invasion, Zelenskyy had already survived three assassination attempts - two of which were allegedly attempted by Russia's Wagner private military group.
With an estimated 6,000 members, the mercenary organisation is notorious for entering conflict zones where plausible deniability is needed - in other words, the ability to deny responsibility for any damnable actions committed by members of their organisation.
They work in a system of groups rather than a single entity. It is thought that Yevgeny Prigozhin, who is close to Putin, is one of its financial backers. Prigozhin has repeatedly denied any connection, as has the Kremlin.
American officials say there have already been signs that Wagner is involved in the war. More than 400 members travelled to Kyiv to assassinate Zelenskyy, according to reports. But their mercenaries faced further resistance from Ukrainian forces than they predicted.
Ben Wallace, the UK Defence Secretary, said that Russia's decision to use Wagner was a sign of "desperation".
Wallace added that the group was "responsible for all sorts of atrocities in Africa and the Middle East. And the fact that Russia is now trying to encourage them to take part in Ukraine, I think, is a telling sign."
Wagner has previously been accused of war crimes in the countries in which they have been deployed. The European Union has said they are responsible for arbitrary executions and torture.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks from Kyiv today. Photo / AP
It is thought that Wagner played a part in the 2014 annexation of Crimea, gathering intelligence and carrying out surprise attacks.
Accusations that they were fighting in the separatist regions of Luhansk and Donetsk in eastern Ukraine have circulated for years.
Last year, three people and entities from Wagner were sanctioned by the EU after being accused of human rights abuses in the Central African Republic.
"Wagner Group has recruited, trained and sent private military operatives to conflict zones around the world to fuel violence, loot natural resources and intimidate civilians in violation of international law, including international human rights law," the EU said.
