Kyiv – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Sunday evening the dismissal of the Prosecutor General and the head of the country’s security services, due to many suspicions of numerous cases of treason committed by local officials in favor of the Russians. “Today I took a decision to relieve the prosecutor (Irina Venediktova) and the head of the security services (Ivan Bakanov),” Zelensky said in his daily address to the nation. He pointed out that the Ukrainian authorities are currently investigating more than 650 cases of suspected treason committed by local officials, including sixty cases in areas occupied by Russian and pro-Moscow forces. Zelensky added that “the large number of crimes against the foundations of national security, the links established between Ukrainian law enforcement officials and Russian special services” raise very serious questions, stressing that “each of these questions will be answered.” In particular, Venediktova led the investigation into alleged atrocities committed at the beginning of the invasion of Russian forces in the city of Bucha, a suburb northwest of Kyiv, which in the eyes of the West became a symbol of Russian “war crimes” in Ukraine. This comes at a time when the foreign ministers of the European Union countries are discussing on Monday tightening sanctions against Moscow, after the adoption of previous sanctions led to isolating Russia and causing great damage to its economy, without prompting the Kremlin to back down. On Monday, ministers are due to discuss a proposal by the European Commission to ban gold purchases from Russia, to align EU sanctions with those of its G7 partners. Another proposal is to put additional Russian figures on the EU blacklist. Meanwhile, the commander of the British armed forces, Admiral Tony Radakin, said in a television interview broadcast by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that 50 thousand of the Russian army were killed and wounded, and his forces lost thousands of armored vehicles, i.e. “more than 30 percent of their effectiveness in the fighting.” wild”. And he realized, “But Russia is still a nuclear power” and is able to continue its military campaign, considering that speculation about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s illness or the possibility of him being assassinated, is just “desirable thinking.” The United Nations has counted about five thousand dead, including more than 300 children, noting that the actual number is undoubtedly much higher. Western security sources said that between 15 and 20 thousand Russian soldiers were killed, while Kyiv reported the death of 10 thousand of its forces. Putin had warned at the beginning of July that Moscow had “not yet started serious matters” in Ukraine, and last week Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu gave the necessary directions to increase “military pressure”.
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