Neo-Nazi group with suspected Russian ties claims responsibility for assassination of Ukrainian intelligence officer — The Guardian

A Ukrainian cell of the neo-Nazi group “The Base” has claimed responsibility for the July 10 assassination of Colonel Ivan Voronych, a senior official in Ukraine’s domestic intelligence agency (SBU), according to The Guardian. “The shooting of the SBU colonel is not the end, but only the beginning. We will continue our struggle until justice prevails,” read a statement published on a Telegram channel believed to be linked to the cell.

The message, published in Ukrainian, also stated that members of the group are “proud of our associates” who carried out the killing, and that they don't care if critics denounce them as “terrorists and extremists.” In another message, the group wrote: “The hunt continues!” The Guardian’s counter-terrorism sources analyzed these messages and concluded that they appear credible, representing an escalation in violence.

Steven Rai, an analyst at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue who monitors The Base’s online activity, reported that the group has been active in Ukraine since March. During this time, according to Rai, The Base has carried out at least 10 arson attacks targeting infrastructure and buildings across Ukraine.

“They have repeatedly threatened a variety of terrorist actions, including acts of sabotage and the assassination of Ukrainian government officials,” Rai said. While The Base’s role in Voronych’s assassination is still unverified, “this action is very much in line with what they have been threatening to do for months and shows the severity of the threat they pose,” Rai added.

The founder and leader of The Base, Rinaldo Nazzaro, declined to comment on the Ukrainian cell’s activities, telling The Guardian: “I have no personal involvement in this incident and don't know who is responsible for it.” The newspaper notes that The Base has spent months on Telegram offering cash for “volunteer operatives and recruits” to attack infrastructure and politicians in Ukraine, coinciding with allegations that Nazzaro, a “semi-defected American” who now lives in St. Petersburg, is a Kremlin spy.

Representatives of The Base’s Ukrainian cell did not respond to numerous questions sent by journalists via Telegram and email.

Colonel Ivan Voronych was shot and killed in Kyiv on July 10. Ukrainian intelligence officials say two Russian agents involved in the assassination were killed during their apprehension.

The New York Times reported that Voronych previously headed SBU’s Fifth Directorate, which conducts operations, including assassinations, inside Russia and Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine.