President Volodymyr Zelensky has suspended the director of the Ukrainian intelligence service (SBU) and the prosecutor general, citing several instances of treason inside the two influential organizations.
He stated that sixty former employees were currently working against Ukraine in Russian-occupied territories.
He noted that a total of 651 collaboration and treason cases had been filed against law enforcement employees.
Ivan Bakanov and Iryna Venediktova, two authorities, have not spoken.
In a late-Sunday video message, Mr. Zelensky stated, “Such an array of crimes against the pillars of the state’s national security… raise extremely serious problems for the respective chiefs [of the two organizations].”
“Each of these inquiries will receive an adequate response,” the Ukrainian president continued.
In a later interview on Ukrainian television, one of Mr. Zelensky’s top advisors, Andriy Smirnov, stressed that the officials have not been fired, as was initially reported, but rather have been removed pending an inquiry.
“To prevent the potential impact of these two officials on criminal procedures involving SBU employees suspected of cooperating with the aggressor country, as well as the prosecutor’s office, the president has made the necessary choices,” Mr. Smirnov explained.
The expulsion of SBU chief Ivan Bakanov, a childhood friend of Mr. Zelensky, follows the arrest of a former SBU regional head in Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea. Oleh Kulinych is believed to be a traitor.
Mr. Zelensky stated, “Everyone who, along with him, was a member of a criminal organization that worked in the interests of the Russian Federation will also be held accountable.” It concerns the passing of classified information to the enemy as well as other aspects of cooperation with Russian special services.
Additionally, senior intelligence officials headquartered in Kherson have been charged, and Mr. Zelensky has indicated that additional action would be taken against other SBU officers.
Long believed to have a problem with the Russian infiltration of its security agencies, Mr. Zelensky sought to explain the consequences of recurrent security breaches in his speech.
Many Ukrainians would not be surprised to learn that Moscow attempted to infiltrate their security services and prosecutor’s office.
The FSB has a long history of attempting to operate from within. Indeed, all intelligence agencies do. That is how they function.
What may be more alarming is the amount of their success, which appears to have undermined Ukraine’s defenses at a key time. The strategically significant city of Kherson fell within days, with bridges that were reportedly not blown up.
The danger is that the deceitful activities of an unexpectedly large number of Ukrainian officials and officers have aided Russia’s offensive and left Ukraine vulnerable.
There is no suggestion that Ivan Bakanov or Iryna Venediktova betrayed their country, only that they led organizations where others did. Both of them have been suspended for their actions.
It is also important to recognize that infiltration by security services is not unique to Ukraine.
According to reports, there was a purge of FSB officers suspected of working for Ukraine or at least being sympathetic to their cause early after the start of the war.
There is no secret service in the world that does not have problems with foreign agents. At a moment when the stakes could not have been higher, however, the perceived magnitude of this will cause genuine alarm among Ukrainians.
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Several weeks ago, it was reported that Mr. Zelensky desired to replace Mr. Bakanov after blaming him for failing to halt the Russian advance in February.
The 47-year-old was selected to lead the spy agency in 2019 after directing Mr. Zelensky’s presidential insurgent campaign. Opposition politicians criticized the decision, claiming that the former television producer lacked the qualifications necessary to manage the SBU.
Ms Venediktova will be followed by her deputy, Oleksiy Symonenko, Mr Zelensky added. She became the first female head of law enforcement in Ukraine in 2020, after Mr. Zelensky ousted her male predecessor for failing to provide results.
However, he warned at the time that she would be replaced if she failed to combat corruption in the country.
She told that her agency was investigating about 21,000 war crimes and aggression crimes allegedly perpetrated by Russia since the beginning of its incursion.
In more developments:
According to the Russian newspaper Kommersant, Canada sent a repaired turbine for Russia’s Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline to Germany via airplane. It will likely arrive in Russia within five to seven days. There have been concerns that Russia could halt gas exports to Europe by performing regular maintenance on the pipeline.
Marina Ovsyannikova, the Russian journalist who interrupted a live television broadcast with an anti-war message in March, was held and then freed by police in Moscow.
Ukraine claims that a substantial number of Russian vessels in the Black Sea have been relocated from Crimea to the port of Novorossiysk, located further east. This follows the additional delivery of longer-range missile systems by Ukraine’s Western partners.
Liza, age 4, was one of 24 persons murdered on 14 July when Russian missiles struck the central Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia. Dozens of grieving families and locals attended her funeral.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who is currently the deputy head of the Security Council, threatened Ukraine with a “Day of Judgment” if it attacked Crimea.
