Ukraine president says coup plot uncovered as Russian tensions grow

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the country has uncovered a plot for an attempted coup that was due to take place as early as next week and involve people in Russia.

Zelenskiy did not accuse the Russia government of playing a role in the coup attempt but warned of a wider threat of military escalation from Moscow, and said Ukraine would be prepared.

The president did not give more details about the alleged coup, but said Ukrainian intelligence suspected the involvement of Russian citizens and Ukraine’s richest man, Rinat Akhmetov.

“We have challenges not only from the Russian Federation and possible escalation - we have big internal challenges,” Zelenskiy told a press conference.

“I received information that a coup d’etat will take place in our country on Dec. 1-2.”

The Kremlin said it had no plans to take part in an alleged coup plot against Zelenskiy and that Moscow did not undertake acts of that kind.

Tensions are growing between the two countries, raising fears that a long-running conflict between Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists could erupt into renewed open warfare.

“We are in full control of our borders and are fully prepared for any escalation,” Zelenskiy said.

The head of Ukraine‘s military intelligence last week said Russia had more than 92,000 troops massed around Ukraine‘s borders and was preparing for an attack by the beginning of February.

Ukraine, which wants to join NATO, received a large consignment of U.S. ammunition and missiles earlier this year, prompting criticism from Moscow.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday that Russia has amassed heavy military equipment, tanks and combat-ready troops near Ukraine, warning that any use of force against Ukraine would be costly for Moscow.

“This military buildup is unprovoked and unexplained. It raises tensions and it risks miscalculations,” he said.

Speaking at the press conference, Zelenskiy said Ukrainian intelligence had obtained audio recordings of the plotters, including people from Russia, trying to rope business magnate Akhmetov into joining a coup.

“I believe (Akhmetov) is being dragged into the war against Ukraine. This will be a big mistake, because you cannot fight against your people,” said Zelenskiy.

In a statement, Akhmetov said the information made public by Zelenskiy implicating him in a coup was “an absolute lie.”

“I am outraged by the spread of this lie, no matter what the President’s motives are,” Akhmetov said.

Volodymyr Fesenko, chairman of the Penta Center of Applied Political Studies, said the timing of Zelenskiy’s speech was interesting given that protests have been scheduled near the president’s dffice in Kyiv for 1 December.

The rally was planned after opposition politician Oleh Liashko hinted that Zelenskiy could impose marital law soon.

“I think that at the moment there are more questions than answers,” Fesenko told The Independent.

“(But) the mention of Rinat Akhmetov by the president in this context is, most likely, a preventive political signal to the country’s richest oligarch that one should not get involved in risky political adventures.”

Akhmetov is a billionaire businessman who made his wealth mainly in the energy and steel sectors.

Aleksey Jakubin, an associate professor at Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, said tensions were rising between Akhmetov and Zelenskiy after the government introduced several new laws recently that curb oligarchs’ influence.

“We have recently seen a law on oligarchs, centralisation of power around the President, among other things,” Jakubin said. “This is making Zelenskiy unpopular among some parts of society because he attacks the status and the wealth of the rich. They are worried.”

Jakubin said he was unsure of whether the reported coup attempt was genuine, but believed that the president’s statements were a warning.

“I see this as Zelenskiy giving Akhmetov and other opponents a final chance to negotiate, when it comes to their disagreements over several issues.”

Emil Filtenborg contributed to this report

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