Zelenskiy removes the Head of Secret Service and Chief Prosecutor

UKRAINE - In Brief 18 Jul 2022 by Dmytro Boyarchuk

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Yesterday, late in the night President Volodymyr Zelenskiy informed that he removed the Head of Secret Bureau of Ukraine (SBU) Ivan Bakanov and the Chief Prosecutor Iryna Venediktova. In the case of Bakanov, the formal reasoning for his displacement were the failures defending the South from Russians (the Head of Khersov division of the SBU was allegedly inactive) and many Russian agents spotted on high positions at the SBU. In case of Venediktova, the formal reason was not clear; allegedly it was her responsibility for sabotaging the appointment of the Head of Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Office (SAPO). The move is really remarkable since Ivan Bakanov was Zelenskiy’s childhood friend. However, we have doubt the appointments at the SBU went independent from the President's Office and the Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak. No more or less important cadre decision passes without approval from Andriy Yermak. On Venediktova’s role in sabotaging the Head of SAPO's appointment – this sounds funny even for uninitiated observers. Iryna Venediktova used to execute direct orders from President's Office without any sign of private initiative. Why did Zelenskiy decide to remove them both? Most likely in response to the scandal with Сongresswoman Victoria Spartz, who indirectly blamed Andriy Yermak for many sins by submitting the request to President Joe Biden openly raising the issue of the delayed appointment of an independent anti-corruption prosecutor. Locally Zelenskiy-Yermak made an aggressive campaign to neutralize this scandal, making Сongresswoman Spartz look hysterical and poorly informed about Ukrainian affairs. Many opinion-makers and officials expressed their support ...