MOSCOW, July 3. /TASS/. The Kremlin expressed its wish that Head of Crimea Sergey Aksyonov maintain his strength of spirit and fortitude amid reports that he was targeted by an assassination plot, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

When asked if Russian President Vladimir Putin was aware of the assassination plot, the Kremlin spokesman said: "Definitely, the president receives reports on a regular basis, including of such types of high-profile cases that concern regional heads; moreover, in this particular case, it is an important region like Crimea."

"Aksyonov is a true fighter and it [the assassination attempt] is certainly not enough to intimidate him. We wish that he retains his strength of spirit and fortitude," Peskov stressed.

On Monday morning, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said that it had prevented a saboteur from blowing up the automobile of Crimean Head Sergey Aksyonov. The saboteur, a Russian national recruited by the Ukrainian Security Service, was detained. Aksyonov thanked FSB officers for thwarting the assassination attempt.