This is the chilling event where a leading Ukrainian special operations official was killed by an assassin using a pistol with a silencer in what is suspected to be a Russian retaliation attack today.

Colonel Ivan Voronich, the head of an SBU intelligence Special Operations Centre, was killed instantly, leading to a manhunt after the assailant disappeared in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv.

Voronich is understood to have planned sensitive missions created to cripple Vladimir Putin’s war machine and embarrass the Russian tyrant.

His killer pumped five shots into his body before sprinting away.

Pro-Putin sources quickly boasted a Kremlin agent had assassinated the colonel for running secret operations behind Russian lines.

It is believed that Putin ordered this revenge attack following the embarrassing defeat during Operation Spiderweb in June, where £5.2 billion worth of Russian military aircraft was destroyed.

Ukrainian SBU agents smuggled drones on trucks to within striking distance of air bases and launched incredible simultaneous remotely controlled attacks.

Voronych, 50, was gunned down and pronounced dead at the scene in Kyiv’s Holosiivskyi district.

Footage shows the moment he was killed as he carried bags from a residential building.

He was ambushed by the waiting gunman – who was masked – as a woman fled the scene. The assassin is then seen running away on video.

Colonel Voronich was a senior operative of the 1st Division of the 16th Directorate of the Special Operations Centre.

Ukrainian ex-MP Ihor Mosiychuk said: “As a result of the shooting, the victim sustained multiple penetrating gunshot wounds and died at the scene.”

Moscow news outlet Readovka said Voronych was part of an elite Ukrainian clandestine force which had carried out operations inside Russia.

Readovka said the unit “operates not only as a law enforcement entity but also takes part in highly sensitive operations on Russian territory”.

Another Russian outlet Voenkor Kotenok TG said the colonel had “founded a division that causes problems for Russia”.

Another pro-Putin propaganda channel boasted: “A fat target. Applause to the liquidators”.

Russian commentator Maksim Kalashnikov said: “In Kyiv, Colonel Voronich, one of the organisers of special operations against us, a chief saboteur, was shot dead.

“Our people have started working.”

Former SBU colonel Roman Chervinsky, once head of the 5th Directorate of the SBU Counterintelligence Department, said Voronych’s killing amounted to a “huge loss”.

He was said to have “initiated a direction in the [SBU] service that is now creating many problems for the Russians.”.

“With five shots at close range, while leaving the apartment, today at 8 am, the enemy killer did his dirty work.”

A major manhunt was underway for the alleged assassin.

Ukrainian police said: “All circumstances of the incident are currently being established. Measures are being taken to identify and detain the shooter.”

Putin wants SBU blood after a string of successes exposed the weaknesses in the security of his military machine.

Notable military successes since Russia‘s full-scale invasion in 2022 including the sinking of the flagship of Russia‘s Black Sea fleet, the Moskva, and the bombing of the Kerch Bridge.

A missile attack on Sevastopol harbour the following year also wreaked havoc but the tyrant finally demanded action after Spiderweb decimated his nuclear bomber fleet.