Head of SBU- Ivan Bakanov and Prosecutor General- Iryna Venediktova have been suspended on charges of treason and collaborating with Russia
The President of Ukraine – Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suspended the Head of Ukraine’s State Security Service (SBU) – Ivan Bakanov and Prosecutor General – Iryna Venediktova, on charges of treason and collaborating with Russia.
Zelenskyy said that more than 60 former employees are now working against Ukraine in Russian-occupied areas. A total of 651 collaboration and treason cases had been opened against law enforcement officials.
In a video address on Sunday, i.e., July 17, 2022, Zelensky said, “Such an array of crimes against the foundations of the national security of the state… pose very serious questions to the relevant heads [of the two organisations].”
Zelenskyy’s Top Adviser – Andriy Smirnov, appeared on Ukrainian TV and said that the officials have not been fired, but have been removed pending an investigation.
The removal of Bakanov, a childhood friend of Zelenskyy, follows the high-profile arrest of a Former SBU Regional Head in Crimea – Oleh Kulinych, who is suspected of treason. Senior intelligence officials based in Kherson have also been charged and Zelenskyy suggested that further action would be taken against other SBU officers.
Zelenskyy further said, “Everyone who together with him was part of a criminal group that worked in the interests of the Russian Federation will also be held accountable. It is about the transfer of secret information to the enemy and other facts of co-operation with the Russian special services.”
There were reports that Zelenskyy wanted to replace Bakanov for his failures in stopping the Russian advances. The 47-year-old Bakanov was picked to lead the intelligence agency in 2019 after managing Zelenskyy’s insurgent campaign for the Presidency. Opposition figures criticised the appointment, arguing that the former TV producer was unqualified to lead the SBU.
Bakanov’s Deputy – Vasyl Malyuk, has been announced as the Acting Head of the SBU in a decree posted to the Presidential website. Meanwhile, Venediktova will also be succeeded by her Deputy – Oleksiy Symonenko. She took office in 2020 as Ukraine’s first female Law Enforcement Chief after Zelenskyy fired her predecessor, accusing him of not producing results. At that time, he had warned that someone else would be hired if she could not clamp down on corruption in the country.
It comes as no surprise that Russia tried to infiltrate Ukraine’s security services and prosecutor’s office. Russia’s Federal security Service (FSB) has a long history of trying to work from the inside. The strategically important city of Kherson fell in days, with bridges that should have been blown up still standing. The fear is that the insidious actions of a surprisingly large number of Ukrainian officials and officers helped Russia’s offensive and left Ukraine exposed.
In other developments Canada flew a repaired turbine for Russia’s Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline to Germany. It is expected to reach Russia within 5-7 days. There have been fears that Russia could use annual repairs to the line to shut down gas deliveries to Europe. Ukraine says a significant number of Russian warships in the Black Sea were moved from Crimea further East to the Port of Novorossiysk. This comes after Kyiv received further deliveries of longer-range missile systems from its Western allies.
