"Public figures" were preparing a coup in coordination with Medvedchuk and Surkov's movement – the Security Service of Ukraine
KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO — WEDNESDAY, 31 AUGUST 2022, 19:08
The investigators of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) submitted to the court an indictment against two "public and political figures" who were preparing the seizure of state power in Ukraine, in coordination with members of the NGO "Ukrainian Choice" and with the then assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, Vladislav Surkov.
Source: SSU
Details: Counter-intelligence of the SSU exposed those involved at the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation this year.
It is noted that the perpetrators worked in coordination with the Russians and individual members of the NGO "Ukrainian Choice". Among other things, in 2019 they had contact with the reception of the then assistant of the Russian president, Vladislav Surkov.
According to the investigators of the SSU, during the annexation of Crimea and the military invasion of the Russian Federation in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, the accused closely cooperated with Viktor Medvedchuk's political structures, discussing plans to create a union state of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.
However, the expected funding from Medvedchuk did not come, so they began to act separately. A representative of the Russian Federation, who has connections in the Russian special services and the government, promised to provide them with funds.
Quote: "In order to overthrow the government by force, those involved developed a plan to hold a "National Assembly".
Like-minded people and members of public organisations subordinate to them were supposed to gather in Kyiv and announce the removal of the president, the dissolution of the Verkhovna Rada and the government...
To ensure the force component of the coup, one of the defendants started recruiting people with military service experience. The accomplice of the mutineers, who was exposed by the SSU during an attempt to recruit "security forces", and who gave evidence on the main defendants, has already been convicted."
More details: The SSU noted that at the time of the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the suspects did not receive the full amount of the promised funding. The probable reason is the embezzlement of funds allocated for subversive activities in Ukraine, which is connected with a number of high-profile resignations in the Russian government and law enforcement agencies.
"At the time when hostilities were going on near Kyiv, the mutineers changed the coup plan to the creation of "people's republics" in western oblasts. This happened due to the confidence in the quick occupation of the eastern, northern and southern parts of Ukraine," the report says.
The defendants are accused of conspiracy to commit acts with the aim of forcibly changing the constitutional order and seizing state power, i.e. under Part 1 of Art. 109 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Background: On 5 March, the SSU reported that it had thwarted the Kremlin's plans for new "people's republics" in the West of Ukraine, and the organiser and key individuals were detained.
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