Mykhailo Podoliak, a member of the negotiation process with Russia and advisor to the Head of the President’s Office of Ukraine, has said that the murder of Denys Kirieiev, one of the advisers to the Ukrainian delegation, whom the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) had accused of allegedly committing treason, occurred due to poor coordination between Ukrainian secret services at the beginning of the war.

Source: Podoliak in an interview with the Latvian news outlet Delfi

Quote: "He was related to Defence Intelligence, and his murder was connected with a lack of unified coordination between the security agencies.

On the one hand, there were certain claims against him, and on the other hand, there was not enough time to settle these claims in a dialogue format. It had nothing to do with the work of the delegation and the negotiation process. He was not an agent of Russia."

Details: According to Podoliak, Russia then tried to make Kirieiev look like its agent; however, he was not affiliated to the Kremlin.

The press service of the Security Service of Ukraine said that at the moment they cannot comment on Kirieiev’s killing, because the State Bureau of Investigation is conducting an investigation.

Previously: The Wall Street Journal, relying on financial and intelligence documents and other collected materials, reported that Kirieiev had warned Ukrainian intelligence about Moscow's plan to capture Kyiv on the eve of the Russian invasion.

In particular, he developed links with European intelligence services, as well as with Russian military and government officials, and then reported to Kyrylo Budanov, Head of Ukraine's Defence Intelligence.

As Budanov says, Kirieiev's tip gave Ukraine a few vital hours to move troops and defend Kyiv.

Budanov himself invited Kirieiev to take part in the negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.

After Kirieiev's murder, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded him a medal posthumously for his "exceptional contribution to the protection of state sovereignty and state security".

He was buried next to the first Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine at Baikove Cemetery in Kyiv.

Background: 

• On 5 March, 2022, it was reported that the SSU killed banker Denys Kirieiev, who had participated in the negotiations between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Gomel on 28 February, during his detention in Kyiv. He was suspected of alleged treason.
• In July 2022, Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Ivan Bakanov, former Head of the SSU, and dismissed or ordered prosecution of dozens of the SSU’s generals for their possible role in facilitating the Russian invasion.

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