The Times of London reports that the Kremlin ordered hundreds of Russian mercenaries in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

According to The Times, a private militia run by one of President Putin’s closest allies, “flew in mercenaries from Africa five weeks ago on a mission to decapitate Zelensky’s government in return for a handsome financial bonus.”

The Ukrainian government learned about their mercenaries’ mission on Saturday morning and later declared a 36-hour curfew to sweep Kyiv for Russian saboteurs.

Mercenaries Entered Through Belarus

The mercenaries, of which about 400 are believed to be in Kyiv, are contracted by the Wagner Group, which is owned by Putin ally Yevgeny Prigozhin. The mercenaries entered Ukraine through Belarus in January, The Times reported.

Zelenskyy’s name tops the Wagner Group kill list of 23 senior Ukrainian figures that includes Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, the former world heavyweight boxing champion.

Read more at The Times of London.