Ukraine War Day #145: Zelensky Surrounded By Traitors And Spies

Dear Readers:

The big news coming out of the Ukraine this past weekend: Zelensky has fired his Prosecutor-General Irina Venediktova, and also the head of the SBU (Security Agency, successor to Soviet KGB), a man named Ivan Bakanov. Both of whom used to be tight members of Zelensky’s inner circle, especially the latter. Bakanov’s dismissal is especially poignant since he and Zel go way back: They were childhood pals, lived in the same apartment block, went to the same school, attended the same university, were probably even roommates. In 2013 the two pals worked together on Zelensky’s comedy troupe Kvartal-95. Always side by side, Bakanov joined Zelensky’s political party Servant of the People, and headed his election HQ. In 2019 Zel placed his old friend in the crucial position as SBU head and promoted him to the title of Lieutenant, even though he had no military experience.

Ivan Bakanov

Bakanov’s wife, Oksana Lazarenko, is a citizen of the Russian Federation, which has raised a few eyebrows. The couple have two sons. Just like Zelensky’s family, they have become very rich over the years and stashed a lot of lucrative assets in Cyprus offshores. [Evil tongues claim that the main starting capital for Zel and his clique stems from the patronage of the oligarch Kolomoisky. Zelensky’s show business career made him a millionaire, but Kolomoisky made him a billionare. Then, of course, after taking the reins of power, Zelensky could start dipping his snout into the public trough, as every Ukrainian leader ever has done.]

Although it does not appear that Venediktova/Bakanov have been arrested, they are maybe just a hair away from that. Zelensky is accusing their respective agencies of being “riddled with spies and traitors”. (Which is probably true.) In which case, their crimes would be more like negligence, or turning a blind eye to all the shenanigans; as opposed to being traitors themselves.

Zelensky: “I took the decision to dismiss the General Prosecutor and the Head of the SBU. There are currently registered 651 criminal cases involving treason and collaborationist activity of functionaries within the organs of the Prosecutor and criminal justice system.” Moreover, “More than 60 functionaries of the SBU organs have remained on occupied territory and work against our government. Such a massive number of crimes against the very foundations of our state security; not to mention the known communications between the structures of the Ukrainian security forces and the special services of Russia, raise very serious questions to the respective managers [i.e., Venediktova and Bakanov].”

Bakanov and Venediktova: disgraced

I love the way Zel just casually tossed that out, about Ukie security forces routinely chatting with Russian military intelligence. Russophile blogosphere having a field day, natch! Maria Zakharova trolled Zelensky on Twitter, calling these dismissals “effective de-Nazification” on Zelensky’s part. Other bloggers have compared Zelensky to Stalin, in his paranoia starting to turn against his inner circle. However, to me it doesn’t even seem like paranoia, I think these Ukrainian agencies probably are riddled with Russian spies. Ukrainian government officials are so corrupt, they would do literally anything for money. The friendship between Zelensky and Bakanov may be a sweet one, but it’s also one based on money and shared criminality, all the loot they stashed away on Cyprus together. At what point does a group of friends turn into a criminal gang? And once that happens, how easy does it become to betray one another? Especially after friends get married to other people and raise families, and then the families become more important than the friendship. The Yoko Ono factor.

Slavyansk: Наш последний и решительный бой!

Of course, the other factor, the elephant in the room, is the series of military defeats; and somebody needs to be blamed for that. Ukrainian ex-politician and dissident Oleg Tsarev opines that Zelensky needs a fall-guy to explain the loss of Kherson Oblast; and Bakanov is just the guy.

Also given that another major defeat looms in the not-too-distant future: Slavyansk-Kramatorsk. Even talking puppets on Westie MSM are now starting to say, “when Slavyansk falls…” and not “if Slavyansk falls…”

Rogov: His spies told him some juicy gossip.

I have this piece of juicy gossip from reporter Olga Ivanova. Who is reporting some plausible hear-say from a man we have met in previous posts, namely Vladimir Rogov, who heads the pro-Russian slice of Zaporozhie Oblast. Rogov: “I have acquired some information, according to which: At a session of the [Ukrainian] Soviet on National Security and Defense, they were discussing, in Zelensky’s presence, a certain critical situation. According to which, they received an ultimatum from their British and American curators. According to which, if they were to lose Slavyansk, then the money would be cut off, for the military financing of the regime.” Rogov obviously referring to Ukraine’s incessant demands for $9 billion dollars a month from the West (and the number keeps going up). Gimme, gimme, gimme $$$$! (Okay, son, but if you lose Slavyansk, I cut off your allowance, capish?)

Rogov made this declaration during a radio interview for Komsomolskaya Pravda. I don’t know whether he was well out of line, because he might just have compromised a Russian asset, assuming there was a spy in that meeting of Zelensky’s cabinet.

Like I said, it’s just unconfirmed hearsay. But fits in neatly with Zelensky’s hypothesis that his security agencies are riddled with spies. [It’s also possible the Russians could have just bugged the room they were meeting in, as opposed to having a human spy there.]

American Officers Got Calibrated?

And last but not least, adding one more Lego block to this theory (of rampant spies), we have the July 14 Russian rocket attack on the Aviation Officers Club in the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia. This city is well in the Western part of the Ukraine, but Russians have proved before that their Kalibr cruise missiles, especially when launched from Black Sea submarines, can reach any square meter of land in any part of the Ukraine.

They can do it, but usually don’t. This attack was special, and also very sad, because apparently many civilians, including children, were also killed or hurt, as collateral damage. But the legitimate military target was a building set right in the middle of town, which served as a clubhouse for officers of Ukrainian aviation. Like many such clubs, it also served as a social center for the community, where one might attend a banquet or concert, etc. But on this particular day, or so it is alleged, the Russians got word [from still more spies?] that some very special guests would be present. It is even rumored that some of the guests [and obviously among the calibrated] were American Generals. Possibly even there to pedal more HIMARS to their Ukrainian proteges. And that the rocket attack was Russia’s way of saying “Fuck you America!” and getting even for those HIMARS attacks on Donbass and Kherson civilians.

The main point being, though, that Zelensky is probably within his rights to feel paranoid and always looking over his shoulder. How else could the Russians have known about the important meeting in the Officers Club? And what else do they know? And where else could they strike at any time?