Russia’s FSB security service announced on Friday that it had foiled a plot, allegedly ordered by Ukraine, to assassinate Tikhon Shevkunov, a senior bishop in the Russian Orthodox Church known for his close ties to President Vladimir Putin.
Often referred to as “Putin’s confessor” in media reports, Metropolitan Tikhon serves on Putin’s advisory council for culture and the arts and has maintained an acquaintance with the Russian leader since the 1990s.
The 66-year-old cleric was appointed Metropolitan of Crimea after Russia annexed the peninsula from Ukraine in 2014, a role that signifies a senior bishop. Frequently seen in public with Putin, he has been speculated as a possible successor to Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church.
According to the FSB, a Ukrainian and a Russian national were arrested in Moscow on suspicion of planning the attack. The agency claimed the suspects had been “recruited by Ukraine’s GUR intelligence service through Telegram.”
Russia’s TASS news agency identified the individuals as Shevkunov’s assistant, Denis Popovich, and fellow cleric Nikita Ivankovich. It reported that in December, the suspects were given an improvised explosive device with instructions to assassinate Metropolitan Tikhon before fleeing Moscow using false passports.
Their alleged plan involved planting explosives in the “living quarters” of Moscow’s Sretensky Monastery while Shevkunov was present, TASS stated. Videos released by Russia’s Zvezda news outlet showed security forces detaining one of the suspects and transporting him in a van, while another clip depicted a suspect handcuffed and lying face-down in an apartment. The outlet also shared footage that purportedly showed the suspects confessing.
Ukraine has not issued any public response to the allegations. Since launching its military offensive against Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has witnessed several attacks targeting Russian or pro-Russian figures. Many of these incidents have been attributed to Kyiv or claimed by Ukraine’s secret services, with the most recent being the assassination of General Igor Kirillov in Moscow last December.
