Putin’s private militia group reportedly has plans to kill Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky within days.
Experts on the network of military contractors known as the Wagner group, which includes former and active duty soldiers from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Serbia, say they have been on the ground in Ukraine for at least a month.
The group is believed to be made up of some 400 mercenaries, who are linked to a string of robberies, murders, rapes and alleged war crimes.
It is thought that they now have a hit list of another 23 key figures - including President Zelensky.
According to reports from The Times, the soldiers are awaiting a signal from the Kremlin to wipe out Zelensky and his Government.
The assassination crew have been promised both hefty bonuses and safe passage out of Ukraine for killings in the next few days.
It is widely believed that the group is at the beck and call of Vladimir Putin, although the Kremlin has repeatedly denied this.
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The force is said to be heavily involved in supplying weapons, experienced operations personnel and military training to pro-Russian militias in eastern Ukraine.
The group has previously been deployed by the Kremlin outside of Russia, to carry out black ops operations that Putin wants done while avoiding direct responsibility,
And now, the army of soldiers is believed to be active in Ukraine, waiting for the green light to pounce on his hit list of targets.
The list is believed to include Ukraine’s prime minister as well as the entire cabinet, mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko and his brother Wladimir - both of whom are boxing champions who have become iconic figures on the front lines of the capital.
However, their plans are believed to have been thwarted when Kyiv declared a 36-hour “hard” curfew, ordering everyone indoors to allow soldiers to sweet the streets for Russian saboteurs.
Civilians were warned they risked being 'liquidated' if they stepped outside.
The Times reports that a source close to The Wagner Group, which is run by one of Putin's closest friends, said between 2,000 and 4,000 mercenaries are operating across the whole Ukraine.
The 400 soldiers in the capital were believed to have slid into Kyiv via Belarus.
It was hoped that peace talks, set to get underway today, may begin to de-escalate the war although there were also fears Belarus could soon send troops into Ukraine, backing their long-time ally Russia.
But it is not known how serious Russia are about the talks or what their demands will be five days after invading Ukraine following weeks of troop build up along the border.
After Moscow invaded last week, Zelensky addressed the nation, claiming that Russian special forces were in the capital searching for him as “target No 1”.
However when he was offered the chance to flee by America he said: “I need ammunition, not a ride.”
Boris Johnson has said Britain will do all it can to get more arms to the beleaguered Ukrainian military as Russian forces continue to threaten Kyiv.
The Prime Minister spoke again on Sunday evening to President Zelensky who told him the next 24 hours would be a "crucial period" for his country.
Russian and Ukrainian forces have again been engaged in heavy fighting ahead of the widely expected assault on the capital.
