KABUL (BNA) President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the head of Ukraine’s security services and its prosecutor general on Sunday.
Ivan Bakanov, head of Ukraine’s security services, the SBU, and Iryna Venediktova, the country’s prosecutor general, were relieved of their posts Sunday in presidential decrees that announced the government’s biggest shake-up since Russia’s full-scale invasion began nearly five months ago.
As of Sunday, Ukraine had registered 651 criminal proceedings against employees across several high-level offices for allegedly collaborating with Russians or working against the nation’s goals, Zelensky said in his nightly address shortly after announcing the dismissals.
“Such an array of crimes against the foundations of the national security of the state and the connections detected between the employees of the security forces of Ukraine and the special services of Russia pose very serious questions to the relevant leadership,” Zelensky said.
He added that any employees working against Ukraine would be held accountable and that he had already replaced the security heads of the Kharkiv and Kherson regions.
As Ukraine continues to evaluate the actions of its officials, Zelensky said, the questions about its leadership will receive a “proper answer.”
W/A
