Skip to content
Edit post

President's Office: Prosecutor general, security service chief not fired yet

by Thaisa Semenova July 18, 2022 1:04 PM 1 min read
Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova, who was suspended on July 17. (Wikipedia)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Andriy Smyrnov, a deputy chief of staff for President Volodymyr Zelensky, clarified on July 18 that Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova and Ivan Bakanov, head of the Security Service of Ukraine, had been suspended but not fired yet.

According to Smyrnov, the top officials' suspension was needed to prevent their potential influence on investigations against law enforcement officials suspected of collaboration with Russia.

"Everyone has been waiting long enough for more concrete and, perhaps, radical results from the heads of these two bodies to cleanse them of collaborators and traitors," he said. "However, in the sixth month of the war, we continue to find dozens of such people at each of these institutions."

Depending on the results of inspections into suspected collaborators, Zelensky will decide whether to file motions with the Verkhovna Rada to dismiss Venediktova and Bakanov, Smyrnov added.

Zelensky said on July 17 that "the specific actions and any inaction of each official in the security sector and at law-enforcement agencies will be evaluated." He added that 651 treason cases had been opened against prosecutors, investigators, and other law enforcement officials.

"Such an array of crimes against the foundations of national security and the connections detected between the employees of Ukrainian security forces and the special services of Russia pose very serious questions to the relevant leadership," he said.

Oleksiy Symonenko, a deputy of Venediktova, was appointed acting prosecutor general, while Vasyl Maliuk, a deputy head of the SBU, became the acting head of the security service.

News Feed

8:42 PM

US-based CourtAvenue acquires Ukrainian AI firm BotsCrew.

CourtAvenue, an American artificial intelligence solutions company ranked among the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S., has acquired a controlling stake in BotsCrew, a Ukrainian company that develops chatbots for business, BotsCrew announced in a press release on Feb. 11.
6:02 PM  (Updated: )

US Treasury Secretary to visit Ukraine, meet Zelensky.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will visit Ukraine this week to discuss a potential deal between Kyiv and Washington on critical minerals, Bloomberg reported on Feb. 11, citing undisclosed sources.
2:22 PM

Russia records worst-ever ranking in key corruption index.

Transparency International highlighted that Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has further entrenched authoritarianism, with the Kremlin suppressing dissent, redirecting resources to its military agenda, and eliminating independent voices.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.