Day 145. War in Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy takes action in the security authorities. picture alliance / SvenSimon-ThePresidentialOfficeU | The Presidential Office of UkraineOn Sunday evening, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed the heads of the secret service and the general prosecutor's office. He accused them of treason and "collaboration with the enemy". In addition, there are currently 651 criminal proceedings against employees of the public prosecutor's office and other law enforcement agencies, according to Zelenskyy.

Many defectors in the Ukrainian secret service

More than 60 employees of the public prosecutor's office and other law enforcement agencies remained in the Russian-occupied areas and collaborated with the Russian occupiers, Zelenskyj said on Sunday evening in Kyiv. The Presidential Office issued decrees dismissing the head of the SBU Ivan Bakanov and Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova from their posts. Venediktova was considered a close confidant of President Zelensky, who had appointed her and who was therefore accused of influencing the judiciary in peacetime.There are 651 criminal cases against employees of the public prosecutor's office and other law enforcement agencies for high treason and collaboration with Russian services. In 198 cases, those affected were informed that they were under suspicion. This "series of crimes against the foundations of national security" raises questions for agency leaders, the president said.

Senior member of the Ukrainian security service arrested

He confirmed that a senior SBU man formerly in charge of the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea had been arrested. He is said to have passed on information to Russia.Bakanov has headed the SBU secret service since 2019. No successor has been named for him. The General Prosecutor's Office is to be temporarily headed by Oleksiy Simonenko.