‘UK link in plot to kill Putin’
A MUSLIM terrorist with strong links to Britain was plotting to murder Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, it was claimed yesterday.
Chechen rebel Adam Osmayev, 30, was said to have lived in London and been educated at a leading college here.
Osmayev was paraded before Russian TV cameras, half-naked and wounded, after being seized with another suspect in two swoops by special forces in the Ukrainian port of Odessa.
A third suspect was killed.
Our goal was to go to Moscow and try to kill Prime Minister Putin
Kneeling with his head bowed, Osmayev said: “Our goal was to go to Moscow and try to kill Prime Minister Putin. Our deadline was after the Russian presidential election.”
His co-accused was named as a Kazakh national Ilya Pyanzin.
They were said to be on a mission ordered by Chechnya’s most wanted rebel leader Doku Umarov.
Sceptics said the announcement of their arrests weeks ago was timed to bolster Putin’s ratings as he attempts to be elected President.