Head of Domestic Intelligence: Selenskij rejects Pagano, a close associate

Head of Internal Intelligence
Selenskyj rejects Bakanov, a close friend

07/17/2022 10:54 pm

Ukrainian President Zelenskyi fires a longtime ally and reshuffles security forces. In addition to the head of the Secret Service Pakanov, Attorney General Venediktova must also go. The reasons for this are yet to be revealed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has fired two key figures in his security service. In a decree he fired the head of the SBU secret service, Ivan Pagano. Prosecutor General Irina Venediktova was also removed from her post, according to orders issued by the President’s Office in Kyiv.

Venediktova’s position is to be taken over by Oleksii Simonenko. Reasons for personnel decisions are not given in short documents. A successor to the post of Secret Service chief was not initially named. Baganov, 47, has been a close associate of Zelensky since his days as a TV comedian and has headed the secret service since 2019. Zelensky has made almost no personnel changes since the eventual Russian attack on Ukraine began. February.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian president is demanding stricter compliance with sanctions against Russia from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over a dispute over a turbine for Gazprom. This was announced by Selensky on Twitter. He did not comment on the background of the advice to a country that is one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters. Ukraine recently criticized Canada for allowing the delivery of a serviced Russian turbine to the Baltic Sea pipeline Nord Stream 1 at Germany’s request.

Zelenskyj calls for increased pressure

Because of sanctions imposed as a result of the Ukraine war, Canada initially refused to return the turbine to Russia – but instead decided to hand over the unit to Germany. Russian energy giant Gazprom has significantly cut gas supplies from the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany since June, citing the absence of a turbine.

Zelenskyy said the international stance on sanctions should be principled. “After the terrorist attacks on Vinnytsia, Mykolayiv, Chasiv Yar and others, pressure should be increased, not decreased,” he wrote. The president was referring to Russian rocket attacks on Ukrainian cities far from the front lines that have killed dozens, including children. Trudeau had said his country should support Germany and other European allies in the face of looming energy shortages.

Nord Stream 1 has been out of gas supply since last Monday due to maintenance work. This work will be done till July 21. Many Western politicians have expressed doubts that Gazprom will supply gas again after that.