Ukraine’s former prosecutor general, Iryna Venicetova, denied that Russian collaborators worked in her office during the war. He and the head of Ukraine’s security service, Ivan Bakanov, were sacked by President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday, amid suspicions of treason. Temporary officers were appointed to replace the duo.
In an interview with CNN International in the capital, Kiev, Iryna announced that she accepted the resignation of the country’s president. Now the former attorney general was in charge of investigations into the atrocities committed against civilians during the Russian occupation of the city of Bucha on the outskirts of Kiev.
“I can’t have collaborators here in my office, because cooperation is only the work of people working in the occupied territory. This is not the occupied territory,” said the former attorney general. He added that working with cases of treason by members of the Ukrainian state and their collaborators is a priority of his cabinet, and that he has already clarified his war work.
When asked what the reason for his dismissal was, he pointed to Zelensky’s “political” side. “You know my president is a politician and I was Ukraine’s 16th prosecutor for 30 years. This is realpolitik. [termo alemão para se referir à política que se baseia em noções práticas no lugar do campo ideológico] in Ukraine. This is my answer.”
Iryna also declined to provide further details on the dismissal, believing that Russia could abuse anything she said, emphasizing that Zelensky was “the commander’s boss” and therefore “made his decision based on his views”.
Backups and investigations
According to a presidential decree issued yesterday, Maliuk Vasyl, who will temporarily head the Security Service, and Oleksii Symonenko, who takes over the country’s attorney general, are in office.
Nearly 650 cases of possible treason, aid and complicity with Russia are being investigated among Ukrainian security officials, Zelensky said.
“Such a large number of crimes against the foundations of national security and the links between the Ukrainian authorities and the Russian special services raises very serious questions for those responsible,” Zelensky said. Said. “Each of these questions will be answered,” he added.
In his speech, Zelensky also talked about the devastating military power used by Moscow against Ukraine, and said that Russian forces fired more than 3,000 cruise missiles at targets in Ukraine.
Regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said Donetsk was also targeted by “Russians who continue to bombard civilian infrastructure”.
*with information from AFP
source: Noticias
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