Ukraine’s president fires spy chief and prime state prosecutor

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a joint information briefing with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte (not seen), as Russia’s assault on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine July 11, 2022. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

KYIV, July 17 (Reuters) – President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday abruptly fired the top of Ukraine’s highly effective home safety company, the SBU, and the state prosecutor common, citing dozens of circumstances of collaboration with Russia by officers of their companies.

The sackings of SBU chief Ivan Bakanov, a childhood buddy of Zelenskiy, and Prosecutor Normal Iryna Venediktova, who has performed a key position within the prosecution of Russian struggle crimes, had been introduced in government orders on the president’s web site.

The firings are simply the most important political sackings since Russia invaded on Feb. 24, forcing your entire Ukrainian state machine to deal with the struggle effort.

In a Telegram put up, Zelenskiy mentioned he had fired the highest officers as a result of it had come to mild that many members of their companies had collaborated with Russia, a downside he mentioned had touched different companies as effectively.

He mentioned 651 circumstances of alleged treason and collaboration had been opened towards prosecutorial and legislation enforcement officers, and that greater than 60 officers from Bakanov and Venediktova’s companies had been now working towards Ukraine in Russian-occupied territories.

The sheer variety of treason circumstances lays naked the large problem of Russian infiltration confronted by Ukraine because it battles Moscow in what it says is a battle for survival.

“Such an array of crimes towards the foundations of the nationwide safety of the state … pose very critical inquiries to the related leaders,” Zelenskiy mentioned.

“Every of those questions will obtain a correct reply,” he mentioned.

Russian troops have captured swathes of Ukraine’s south and east throughout an invasion that has killed 1000’s, displaced tens of millions and destroyed cities.

It stays unclear how the southern, Russian-occupied area of Kherson fell so rapidly, in distinction to the fierce resistance round Kyiv that compelled Russia finally to withdrew to deal with capturing the economic Donbas heartland within the east.

In his nightly speech to the nation, Zelenskiy famous the latest arrest on suspicion of treason of the SBU’s former head overseeing the area of Crimea, the peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014 that Kyiv and the West nonetheless view as Ukrainian land.

Zelenskiy mentioned he had fired the highest safety official at the beginning of the invasion, a resolution he mentioned had now been proven to be justified.

“Ample proof has been collected to report this individual on suspicion of treason. All his felony actions are documented,” he mentioned.

Bakanov was appointed to go the SBU in 2019, certainly one of an array of latest faces who rose to prominence after Zelenskiy, a former comic, gained election earlier that 12 months.

Zelenskiy appointed Oleksiy Symonenko as the brand new prosecutor common in a separate government order that was additionally revealed on the president’s website.

Reporting by Max Hunder; Extra reporting by Elaine Monaghan; Writing by Tom Balmforth; Enhancing by Gareth Jones and Daniel Wallis

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