Bihus.Info identifies SSU officers who illegally spied on journalists: they are from Department for Protection of National Statehood. PHOTOS
A new video by the Bihus.Info project has revealed the names of the SSU officers who carried out the operation to install hidden cameras in the hotel rooms where the editorial office was staying on 27 December 2023.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to the Bihus.Info website.
According to journalists, the operation was carried out by the SSU's Department for the Protection of National Statehood (DPNS). In addition, the SSU's Department of Operational and Technical Support was allegedly involved in the installation of the equipment.
It is reported that Roman Semenchenko, the recently dismissed head of the SSU's DPNS, did not deny his and the Department's involvement in the operation in a conversation with Bihus.Info.
First, representatives of the Security Service of Ukraine came to the complex twice between 15 and 22 December 2023 under the pretext of ordering a corporate party for office staff to inspect the rooms where the Bihus.Info editorial team will move in on 27 December 2023.
The operation lasted for 6 days in the complex.
The investigation notes that the group that inspected the establishment was led by a tall, thin man who called himself "Ihor." The editors identified this man as Kravchenko Ihor Borisovich, an SSU officer. Among the phone tags of his permanent number, there are also many DPNS and "M" marks, indicating that he is part of the Department for the Protection of National Statehood.
Investigators say that on 26 December, under the legend of their own corporate party, three dozen people, led by Kravchenko, arrived at the complex. Some of them brought large suitcases, which allegedly contained the equipment needed for the installation. The group with the large suitcases left the complex the same evening. The group was travelling in a blue Volkswagen Caddy, the same vehicle used by the SSU's technical support.
They add that the group was travelling in a blue Volkswagen Caddy, the same vehicle used by the SSU's operational and technical support.
The rest of the people, led by Ihor Kravchenko of the DPNS, stayed overnight until the morning of 27 December, the journalists added.
One of these people was identified by journalists as Yevhen Oleksandrovych Konovalenko. According to their information, he regularly enters the DPNS, and in 2020, he filed a declaration as an SSU officer (the declaration has now been removed from the public part of the register due to the war). In response to the editorial board's question about who ordered him to participate in the surveillance operation, Konovalenko remained silent.
"This woman, presumably named Yulia, from Ihor Kravchenko's 'corporate party' also constantly appears under the DPNS. The editorial staff noticed her here for three days in a row in January-February 2024, and when they asked her a question about illegal espionage, the woman locked herself in a coffee shop," the investigation says.
Journalists report that the man in the photo is Taras Viktorovych Sadovnyk. According to the sources and his phone tags, Sadovnyk recently transferred from the SSU in Khmelnytskyi to Kyiv, namely to the DZND.
"The gardener did not answer the calls," Bihus.Info adds.
Bihus.Info surveillance
As a reminder, on 16 January, a video was posted online showing Bihus.Info employees allegedly using drugs at a New Year's corporate party. The founder of the project, Denys Bihus, noted that the video showed part of the team, namely the cameramen. According to him, the journalists did not use drugs.
"The team is aware of the gravity of the situation. Of course, the wiretapping and surveillance were illegal, and the goals of those who recorded are clear. However, this is no excuse for what we saw on the video - namely, the use of illegal substances by several of our colleagues," the team said.
Later, Bihus said that the Bihus.Info team members had been under surveillance for about a year. And the New Year's corporate party was part of an operation by the security forces.
The SSU initiated proceedings over the illegal wiretapping and filming. It also seized discs with camera recordings.
Recently, Bihus.Info journalists asked for help in identifying the persons allegedly involved in the surveillance of the investigative team.
