Since Russia began its attack on Ukraine at the end of February, its President Zelenskyj has made hardly any changes to his staff. Now he's firing the Attorney General and the head of the secret service, with whom he worked when he was a television comedian. In the evening he gives reasons for the dismissal.
Angered by the betrayal in the Ukrainian security apparatus, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed the heads of the secret service and the general public prosecutor's office. More than 60 employees from these authorities remained in the Russian-occupied areas and collaborated with the enemy, Zelenskyy said in his video address. The President's Office in Kyiv had previously published decrees dismissing the head of the SBU secret service, Ivan Bakanov, and Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the end of February, Selenskyj has made virtually no personnel changes. He gave figures on the defectors: There are 651 criminal proceedings against employees of the public prosecutor's office and other law enforcement agencies for high treason and collaboration with Russian services. In 198 cases, those affected were informed that they were under suspicion.
This "series of crimes against the foundations of national security" raises serious questions for agency leaders, the president said. He confirmed that a senior SBU official formerly in charge of the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea had been arrested.
The 47-year-old Bakanov is a close companion of Zelenskyj from his days as a television comedian, he has headed the secret service since 2019. No successor has been named for him. The General Prosecutor's Office is to be temporarily headed by Oleksiy Simonenko. Zelenskyi also announced recruitment processes for top posts in anti-corruption agencies.
