A high-ranking officer of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), identified by media sources as Colonel Ivan Voronych, was shot and killed on the morning of July 10 in the Holosiivskyi district of Kyiv. The SBU confirmed the killing and said law enforcement agencies have launched a full investigation into the incident.

According to a source cited by Ukrainska Pravda, the assailant approached Voronych around 9 a.m. local time and fired five rounds from a pistol before fleeing the scene. Voronych reportedly died on the spot from multiple gunshot wounds.

“The SBU and the National Police are taking measures to establish the circumstances of the crime and bring perpetrators to justice,” the SBU’s press service said. Authorities are treating the killing as an attempt on the life of a security or law enforcement officer.

As of now, the identity of the attacker remains unknown and no motive has been disclosed. The case has stirred public attention due to the rank of the victim and the bold nature of the killing in Ukraine’s capital.

The murder comes amid ongoing internal and external security challenges facing Ukraine, including heightened Russian drone and missile attacks and persistent counterintelligence threats.