Headline Roundup • July 18th, 2022
Zelenskyy Suspends 2 Top Officials Amid Leadership Concerns, Treason Probes
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suspended Ukraine's top prosecutor and the head of Ukraine's security service Sunday.
In a televised video address, Zelenskyy cited concerns about their leadership and said that 651 criminal proceedings have been "registered regarding treason and collaboration activities of employees of prosecutor's offices, pretrial investigation bodies, and other law enforcement agencies." He added that "more than 60 employees of" Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova and Security Service head Ivan Bakanov remained in Russian-controlled Ukrainian territory and "work against our state." The deputy head of Zelenskyy's administration clarified Monday that Venediktova and Bakanov had been suspended pending further investigation, rather than fired.
According to Ukraine’s first deputy minister of internal affairs, more than 800 people suspected of aiding Russia's invasion have been detained and handed over to Ukraine's Security Service of Ukraine since the invasion began. Zelenskyy said Sunday that anyone found to be working with Russia against Ukraine will be "held accountable."
The story was covered prominently across the political spectrum, and framed as a major decision by Zelenskyy to punish certain leaders for purportedly collaborating with the enemy or failing to root out Russian spies. Some reports highlighted how Bakanov and Zelenskyy have been friends since childhood.
Featured Coverage of this Story
Reuters
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy sidelined his childhood friend as head of Ukraine's security service, and another close ally as top prosecutor, in Kyiv's biggest internal purge of the war, citing their failure to root out Russian spies.
The careers of SBU security service chief Ivan Bakanov and Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova had personified Zelenskiy's policy of putting young loyalists in charge of fighting corruption since the former TV comic came to power in 2019.
But nearly five months after Russia's invasion, the president acknowledged that his two allies had failed to...
Future Publishing via Getty Images
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fired the country’s security service chief and prosecutor general while accusing dozens of their employees of collaborating with Russia.
Zelensky, 44, announced the moves during a nightly address Sunday while citing hundreds of criminal proceedings into treason and corruption within the country.
“In particular, more than 60 employees of the prosecutor’s office and the [state security service] have remained in the occupied territory and work against our state,” Zelensky said. “Such an array of crimes against the foundation of the state’s national security, and the links...
Alexey Furman/Getty Images
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Sunday he has dismissed Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova and Security Service head Ivan Bakanov, due to concerns over their leadership and the number of officials in their departments suspected of treason.
Zelensky said as of Sunday, 651 criminal proceedings have been "registered regarding treason and collaboration activities of employees of prosecutor's offices, pretrial investigation bodies, and other law enforcement agencies," and more than 60 employees of the prosecutor's office and Security Service remain in "the occupied territory and are working against our state."
It was necessary...
