Presidential Office deputy head Oleh Tatarov and Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) chief Vasyl Maliuk were "killing Chechens in Kyiv," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 27, likely referencing the early stages of Russia's full-scale invasion.
Responding to a question by a journalist on the effectiveness of Zelensky's team, the president said, "Oleh Tatarov, together with Vasyl Maliuk, were killing Chechens in Ukraine, in Kyiv, when you were not here."
"Should I drive him out to be killed by the Russians?" he asked. The president did not provide further details but claimed that Ukrainian journalists had been told about this "off the record" and that the U.S. is also aware of it.
Tatarov is the most controversial official in Zelensky's administration. He has been charged with bribery, but the corruption case against him has been obstructed and destroyed by law enforcement agencies and courts.
Despite the controversies, Zelensky has refused to suspend or fire Tatarov.
In the early phases of Russia's full-scale invasion, a group of Chechen fighters fighting for Moscow reportedly attempted to infiltrate Kyiv to assassinate Zelensky, but the plan was thwarted.
It is unclear whether the two cases are related.
Martin Fornusek
(Updated: )
