FAKE footage has revealed how Russian secret services were fooled into paying half a million dollars for a hoax hit job on Putin’s enemy.
The video purported to show a drone strike aimed at 41-year-old Denis Kapustin, the founder of the pro-Ukrainian Russian Volunteer Corps (RVS).
In the footage, the drone can be seen flying directly towards him.
A second video from a reconnaissance angle shows Kapustin’s rebel minibus on fire, following the hit.
Ukrainian intelligence then announced his death to the world, confirmed Kapustin had been assassinated by Russia.
The imagery and elaborate ruse fooled Putin’s secret service, who paid nearly $500,000 (£370,000) and celebrated the rebel’s death.
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The Kremlin’s celebrations were; however, cut short on Thursday when Kapustin revealed himself to be alive and well, and that the cash had gone directly into the pocket of Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence.
Kapustin appeared in a video with GUR military intelligence chief Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, where the duo unveiled the truth of the operation.
The dramatic footage was released to the public on Friday.
The intelligence chief admitted the video of Kapustin’s death in a drone strike had been staged by the GUR.
According to local media, Putin saw Kapustin as a “personal enemy” and ordered the hit.
“[His murder was] ordered by special services of the aggressor state Russia, which allocated $500,000 for it,” he said.
Budanov revealed the assassination plot was ” a complete failure of the Russian special services.”
The duo then revealed the money received for the Putin sanctioned hit job was to be spent on the directorate’s special purpose units.
“As of now, the RVC commander is on the territory of Ukraine, and is preparing to carry out assigned attacks,” Budanov said.
The born-again anti-Putin commander today said his “temporary absence had no impact on the work of the units” that continue to fight Putin.
He is set to return to fighting against Russia‘s aggression.
Budanov congratulated him on his resurrection.
“It’s always nice, I suppose,” he said.
“Yes I am glad that the funds received for ordering your elimination went to help our struggle.”
Budanov, 39, was also promoted to head Volodymyr Zelensky’s presidential office on Friday, making the fake video scheme his last act in his role in intelligence.
He won many Western admirers throughout his time in intelligence, where he took the war to the Russians.
The rebel leader has twice been sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia, by kangaroo courts in Russia.
