▁group ▁based ▁in ▁Don et sk ). ▁Some ▁Ukrain ian ▁media ▁indirect ly ▁accused ▁Y ev hen ▁Sh cher ban , ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Liberal ▁Party ▁of ▁Ukraine , ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁assass ination ▁attempt ▁on ▁Laz aren ko . ▁Con vers ely , ▁others ▁spec ulated ▁that ▁Sh cher ban ' s ▁murder ▁was ▁a ▁tit - for - tat ▁order ▁by ▁the ▁Prime ▁Minister . ▁ ▁He ▁may ▁have ▁also ▁pl otted ▁against ▁Ole ks andr ▁Vol kov , ▁a ▁close ▁associate ▁of ▁President ▁K uch ma . ▁Report edly , ▁Vol kov ▁became ▁aware ▁of ▁the ▁planned ▁assass ination ▁and ▁made ▁a ▁phone ▁call ▁to ▁Laz aren ko ▁threaten ing ▁appropriate ▁reven ge . ▁ ▁By ▁mid - 1 9 9 7 , ▁Laz aren ko ▁had ▁fallen ▁out ▁of ▁favor ▁with ▁K uch ma , ▁who ▁sus pected ▁him ▁of ▁making ▁plans ▁to ▁run ▁for ▁presiden cy ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁K uch ma ▁later ▁reg rett ed ▁Laz aren ko ' s ▁appointment ▁as ▁" my ▁grav est ▁mistake ". ▁ ▁Laz aren ko , ▁who ▁had ▁no ▁previous ▁record ▁of ▁serious ▁ill ness , ▁was ▁unexpected ly ▁hospital ized ▁in ▁late ▁June ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁It ▁is ▁spec ulated ▁that ▁he ▁spent ▁the ▁two ▁weeks ▁of ▁the ▁leave ▁for ▁his ▁supposed ▁sick ness ▁in ▁vain ▁attempts ▁to ▁m end ▁f ences ▁with ▁K uch ma . ▁Techn ically , ▁under ▁the ▁Ukrain ian ▁labor ▁code ▁law