Zelensky wants to dismiss Bakanov from the post of head of the SBU – Politico
Ivan Bakanov ,
KYIV. UkraineGate . 24 . June . 2022 | Political News.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky wants to dismiss his longtime friend Ivan Bakanov from the post of head of the Security Service of Ukraine “after a series of failures and loss of Kherson.” This was reported to Politico by four officials familiar with the matter and a Western diplomat .
Details
According to the interlocutors of the publication, Zelensky wants to replace Bakanov with someone who is more suitable for the post of head of the SBU during the war. They add that old friends now rarely talk, except for public affairs.
“It can be difficult to ensure a smooth transition, as the war is still raging and Zelensky is worried about the possibility of releasing someone from his immediate entourage. , – writes the publication after a conversation with one of the sources.
The decision to release Bakanov is considered justified, as Kyiv claims that he failed to respond to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and to properly manage the SBU’s staff of more than 30,000 agents.
Quote
“We are very dissatisfied with his work and are working to get rid of him,” said a senior Ukrainian official close to Zelensky on condition of anonymity. which, in our opinion, he does not have. “
In addition, sources say, they are talking not only about Bakanov’s dismissal, but also about several other high-ranking employees of the agency who have made decisions that could cost the country territories, including the strategic city of Kherson. It is noted that one of the reasons for the fall of Kherson was the unpreparedness of the SBU, for which “someone must suffer,” the Ukrainian official concluded.
For reference
In May 2019, by a decree of the President of Ukraine, Ivan Bakanov was first appointed First Deputy Chairman of the Security Service of Ukraine – Head of the Main Directorate for Combating Corruption and Organized Crime of the Central Directorate of the Security Service of Ukraine. He later became acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine.
On August 29, 2019, the parliament appointed him head of the Security Service of Ukraine.
Source: Ukrgate