Looking for internal subversives Kyivconsidering that their role was key in Russian invasion in February 2022.

According to his publication Politico, Ukraine trying to find double agents at the highest level, as they allegedly paved the way by helping Russian forces take over Kherson and its nuclear power plant Chernobyl.

Representative of the State Bureau of Investigation of Ukraine, Tatyana Sapyanstated that Russian intelligence agents (FSB) had infiltrated security service of Ukraine (SBU) and in the government, undermining the country from within.

Ms Sapian stressed that the revelations to date may be just the tip of the iceberg. ” the network is much wider and the investigation is engaged in identifying all the actions of individuals that led to the rapid occupation of part of the south by the aggressor troops emanating from the territory of the annexed Crimea,” he said.

The State Bureau of Investigation of Ukraine, together with the SBU, completed an investigation against him. Oleg Kulinichformer head of the Crimean department of the SBU, based in Kherson.

Ukrainian authorities note that Kulinich worked “minion” FSB and took part in security meetings with the help of pro-Russian officials and a former US-sanctioned congressman.

“In the first hours of the invasion, Kulinich deliberately blocked any attempts to inform the leadership about the real state of affairs in the Kherson region. He did not take any measures to protect the sovereignty of Ukraine. He ordered the staff to leave the service. Later, he distributed weapons to people who had nothing to do with the SBU. He left his post and left for Kyiv on February 24,” Sapyan said.

Kulinik he was arrested last July on charges of treason. If his guilt is proved by the court, he faces life imprisonment.

The Investigation Bureau and the SBU released intercepted conversations between Kulinich and his alleged associate, a former deputy defense minister of Ukraine. Vladimir Sivkovichfled from Ukraine to Russia in 2014.

To him January 2022The United States imposed sanctions on Sivkovich for his cooperation with a network of Russian intelligence officers. At the beginning of 2020, he participated in disinformation campaign against the 2020 US presidential electionaccording to the US Treasury Department.

OUR Vasyl Malyukthe head of the SBU, said that Kulinich received orders from the political department of fugitive Ukrainian officials in Moscow, which is under the jurisdiction of the 5th department of the FSB.

Sapian said that Kulinich studied with him at the FSB Academy in Moscow. Andrey Naumovanother MP who fled to Russia and was sanctioned by the US for cooperating with the FSB and interfering in US elections.

According to investigators, Kulinich allegedly lobbied for the appointment of Naumov as deputy head of the SBU.

Naumov fled Ukraine hours before the Kremlin’s invasion and reportedly helped the Russians take over Chernobyl nuclear power plant in February last year. He faces extradition to Ukraine from Serbia. Russian website The Insider reported that Russia had offered him asylum in exchange for “testimony against [προέδρου Βολοντίμιρ] Zelensky. He is also suspected of money laundering. He denies the charges against him.

“One of Kulinich’s main tasks was to undermine the work of the central government from within and plant it with hostile agents,” Sapian said.

According to her, since at least May 2019. Kulinich had access to state secretswhile unofficially leading the counterintelligence department.

“On behalf of Sivkovich, Kulinich appointed people to certain administrative positions in the SBU. He was primarily interested in regional divisions in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and other border regionsSapian said, adding: “He also regularly misinformed the leadership about the true intentions of the Russian intelligence services.”

Zelenskiy fired Kulinich in March last year. However, the Ukrainian news site RBC reported that after that, Kulinich worked as an adviser to the former head of the SBU, Ivan Bakanov.

The SBU conducted a check against Bakanov, but the results remain secret.

Source: Politico