Russian President Vladimir Putin paid half a million dollars to assassinate Denis Kapustin, a Russian rebel fighting for Ukraine. But the Russian leader was fooled. The Kremlin thought they had won when news spread that Kapustin died in a drone attack on December 27. Putin paid the $500,000 reward that Russian intelligence had offered, not knowing the money went straight to Ukraine.
However, the supposedly “eliminated” rebel leader reappeared very much alive on New Year’s Day, putting an abrupt end to weeks of speculation. In a video released by Ukraine’s military intelligence, Denis Kapustin was shown healthy and defiant, directly contradicting reports that he had been killed. According to The Sun, Ukrainian intelligence deliberately staged the 41-year-old’s death and successfully deceived Russian authorities.
