Ukraine – Secret Service: Medvedchuk, close to Putin, was arrested

Ukrainian intelligence, the closest ally of the head of the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, in Ukrainian politics has arrested the oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk. This was announced by the secret intelligence service SBU in Kyiv on Tuesday. President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the clients’ success in a special operation on Facebook. The SBU released photos of Medvedchuk, handcuffed and wearing a Ukrainian uniform.

The great businessman and politician Medvedchuk (67 years old) has been a key figure in the conflict between Moscow and Kiev for years. His relationship with Putin sometimes allowed him to act as a mediator. However, his political projects and the television channels he controlled represented pro-Russian positions. Selenskyj turned off the transmitters.

In May 2021, Medvedchuk was placed under house arrest for high treason. He pulled out of this a few days before the Russian attack on Ukraine. The head of the SBU, Ivan Bakanov, commented on the arrest: “No traitor will escape punishment, he will be held accountable under the law of Ukraine.”

Personal friend of Putin

The very wealthy businessman considers the Russian head of state among his personal friends. According to Medvedchuk, Putin is the godfather of his youngest daughter. As a deputy, he headed the main pro-Russian opposition group in Ukraine. He denied the allegations against him, describing them as politically motivated.

Putin reacted with fury to the measures taken by the authorities against Medvedchuk last year. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not respond to the allegations of his arrest. “There is a lot of false information coming out of Ukraine at the moment,” he told Russian media. This should be checked first.