Dear readers, withered publications we covered in detail the biography and main tasks of the most influential general of the FSB of the Russian Federation – Oleg Feoktistov, which consisted in the organization of countering internal and external threats to the interests of the Russian Federation, including through the formation of conspiratorial residency of the FSB in neighboring states, in particular in Ukraine.
In this article, we would like to provide you with information from open sources regarding the implementation of a number of special operations carried out by the Ukrainian special services and pay special attention to their “effectiveness”.
Let’s start with 2016, when Vasyl Vasyliovych Burba was appointed as the helmsman of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the active phase of the information war unleashed by Russia to discredit Ukraine, etc.
So, there is no doubt that in every war the information front has the same importance as the military one and any victory or defeat on it has a tangible effect on the parties to the conflict, in particular by forming one or another worldview in the main mass of the population (consumer), forming the views the parties need on essentially the same situations. It is no secret that the development of modern media technologies has created powerful opportunities for such influence through various ways of providing information or disinformation. Of course, long before the start of the military aggression against Ukraine, Russian media resources were directed to discredit Ukraine, the leadership, and the military on the world stage, and this problem required methods of effective countermeasures.
The development and implementation of such methods was entrusted to a number of special units, including the GUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, which in turn understood that in order to effectively fight against Russian narratives and provide alternative information, it is necessary to find high-quality primary sources that would inspire confidence in the main mass of consumers. And such a solution was found.
Thus, the operation of the emigration to Ukraine of two former deputies of the State Duma of Russia has begun – Denis Voronenkov and Ilya Ponomaryova, which happened in 2016 and strangely coincided with the appointment of V.V. Burby for the position of helmsman of the GUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
Considering the certain similarity of the problems of the above-mentioned deputies in Russia, they really had every chance to be the best objects for recruitment by the Ukrainian special services. Usually, the terms of such cooperation should correspond to the interests of both parties. Thus, the Ukrainian special service needed status sources for the information war and exposure of the fugitive former president Yanukovych and his family members. In turn, Voronenkov and Ponomaryov needed guarantees of protection, protection and legalization on the territory of Ukraine. Probably, this is how the parties agreed, which is indirectly confirmed by the fact that and Ponomaryovand Voronenkov testified in Yanukovych’s treason case, were legalized on the territory of Ukraine and received appropriate security guarantees.
However, if Ponomariov additionally enlisted the support of Western partners, then Voronenkov, at the request of the former military prosecutor Anatoly Mathios, he only received protection by the forces of the same GUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. So, every step of Denys Voronenkov was known to the employees of the special unit, which carried out his protection. In addition to the movements of the former deputy, his bodyguards had excellent opportunities to record his negotiations and, accordingly, his mood.
Yes, in terms of attitudes, unlike Ponomaryov, who definitely had nothing to lose and such cooperation with the Ukrainian special services was his only chance for survival, Voronenkov tried to play his game, even assuming the possibility of refusing the testimony provided as part of the above-mentioned criminal proceedings . And, of course, many of those involved in the investigation and operational support of criminal proceedings regarding Yanukovych’s treason and the annexation of Crimea did not like his behavior.
The tragic and at the same time logical denouement was not long in coming – on March 23, 2017, in the very center of Kyiv, Denys Voronenkov was killed with 3 shots to the stomach and head. At the same time, his bodyguard – an employee of the State Department of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine shot the perpetrator of the crime on the spot, although he himself was wounded. Thus, the life of an important witness in the case of Yanukovych’s treason and the annexation of Crimea was cut short. As they say, ends in water.
But, no, this is just the beginning of the chain of mysterious murders. So, on June 27, in the center of Kyiv, the car of Maxim Shapoval, colonel of the GUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, was blown up. As a result of the explosion, the colonel who was in charge of Voronenkov’s security died. Coincidence? We don’t think so.
Of course, such crimes are extremely audacious and dangerous, and domestic investigative bodies reacted instantly: they started an investigation, found accomplices, and took the case to court.
Recently, the Shevchenkiv District Court of Kyiv ruled in the case of the murder of Denys Voronenkov: one of the accused was found guilty and sentenced to 12 years in prison, the other was acquitted in the courtroom. In addition, the court also established the “organizers” of the brazen murder, which were Yaroslav Levents and Yuriy Vasylenko. Remember these last names. We will return to them.
With regard to the tragic death of Maxim Shapoval, the colonel of the Military Intelligence Service of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, according to the report of the former Head of the SBU Vasyl Hrytsak – the crime is solved. Subsequently, the same Matios and Hrytsak also reported on the detention of the relevant perpetrators and on the involvement in the crimes of the Russian FSB General Dmytro Minayev. Although, it should be noted that nothing is known about the results of the trial on the murder of Maksym Shapoval.
So, at first glance, it was necessary to present state awards to the former leaders of the Security Service of Ukraine, the Military Prosecutor’s Office, and the Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine for the prompt and high-quality disclosure of a series of high-profile crimes.
However, the answers to the following questions remain open:
1.) If employees of the GUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine carried out round-the-clock protection of Denys Voronenkov and his family, then how and in what way did they not notice the fact that he was being followed?
2.) Why was Denis Voronenkov accompanied by only one bodyguard at the time of his murder?
3.) Did the second guard have the right to leave the guarded object and stay to “treat” Denis Voronenkov’s wife?
4.) Was the version of the planned murder of Denys Voronenkov checked by the special services of Ukraine?
5.) Doesn’t it seem strange that the “professional” shot of the security guard, who killed the killer Denys Voronenkov at the scene of the crime, was only a method to prevent the latter from testifying?
6.) Didn’t the former leaders of the Ukrainian special services act together with “Russian colleagues”?
7.) And weren’t all the cases investigated by the former Military Prosecutor of Ukraine Anatoliy Matios accompanied by too many murders?
To be continued…
Author: human rights defender Kostyantyn Kryvopust
