Why Ivan Bakanov should be imprisoned for high treason and cooperation with Russian FSB

Author: Yurii Butusov

"Ukrainska Pravda" found out that Ivan Bakanov gave his son the status of an SSU serviceman and a carefree happy life during the war in restaurants and gyms in Kyiv. But what I find most outrageous in this story is that Bakanov himself is still at large.

I would like to emphasise why Bakanov should be in prison and responsible for high treason and has no right to be free:

1. On Bakanov's recommendation, President Zelenskyy appointed FSB agent Oleh Kulinich as the head of the SSU in Crimea in October 2020:

- Kulinich had graduated from the FSB Academy in Russia and was not eligible for a civil service position under Ukrainian law.

- Kulinich had worked for many years with Andrii Derkach, a former Ukrainian MP who turned out to be a Russian agent and in 2024 was appointed by Putin to the post of Russian senator from Astrakhan region.

- Kulinich was in touch and reported to Russian agent Volodymyr Sivkovych, a former Ukrainian MP and Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council under Yanukovych, in Moscow about everything that was happening in the SSU.

- Kulinich was given unofficial powers as Bakanov's chief adviser, and instead of Kherson, he was based in Kyiv, with access to all information about SSU operations.

- Kulinich is currently in prison as a Russian agent, and the trial is ongoing.

2. By Bakanov's order, in July 2019, Andrii Naumov was appointed head of the SSU's Internal Security Department. Subsequently, by presidential decree, Naumov was promoted to the rank of brigadier general, and his department was made the Main Department, i.e., he received the highest status:

- Naumov took control of all the personal files of all SSU officers and created a large-scale system for smuggling contraband into Ukraine.

- General Naumov fled Ukraine before the Russian invasion and was detained in Serbia with one of his trusted smugglers, Oleksandr Akst, with a large amount of cash.

- In his address, President Zelensky called Naumov a "traitor". Ukraine is demanding his extradition.

3. Kulinich's appointment was not accidental, but directly related to Bakanov's agreements with Moscow:

- Kulinich was not eligible to hold public office because he graduated from the FSB Academy in Moscow in 1994, and such people are subject to lustration.

- Kulinich was a close partner of Andrii Derkach, who was declared a Russian agent by the US and sanctioned in September 2020. After a press conference at which he disclosed the talks between President Poroshenko and President Biden and brought charges against them.

- Kulinich was appointed to a key position and gained access to all SSU operations in October 2020, immediately after Derkach himself was sanctioned and could not personally contact Bakanov. Kulinich's appointment looks like a response to the US from Russian intelligence services and an increase in their influence over the SSU.

- Kulinich openly defended Russia's interests in the SSU. For example, the Crimean SSU opened a case against Volodymyr Skachko, who was close to Derkach, for pro-Russian propaganda. Kulinich personally managed to close the case and dismiss the SSU investigator who was in charge of the case.

- On the eve of the invasion, Kulinich blocked all reports from aerial reconnaissance and the SSU in Crimea to prevent information about the invasion in that area and the extent of Russia's actions.

- On 12 February 2022, Kulinich was in charge of anti-terrorist exercises in the Kherson region, which were attended by President Zelensky. In 2021-22, Kulinich had full access to the entire defence system of southern Ukraine, which led to the complete failure of our defence plans and the rapid advance of the Russians. On 24 February, the Russians marched up to 150 kilometres around Ukrainian positions. No bridges or dams were blown up along the way, and only the sailor Skakun blew up part of the span of the Henichesk bridge, which was out of the way of the Russians' main attack. Kulinich allowed the Russians to get all the information about the state of Ukrainian defence.

- Kulinich had not served in the SSU for 15 years, and there were no grounds for his return to service, except for the FSB's demand. He was known exclusively as a person associated with the FSB and Derkach. And this was Bakanov's reason for giving Kulinich full access to all SSU operations, all the information to facilitate the takeover of Ukraine.

- Immediately after the invasion began, Kulinich left Kherson, abandoned his subordinates at the SSU, did nothing to organise defence, and went to Kyiv to be close to Bakanov and receive information about Ukraine's actions from him and pass it on to Moscow.

Conclusion:

Former head of the Security Service of Ukraine Ivan Bakanov:

- was performing an assignment for the Russian Federal Security Service;

- appointed FSB agents to senior management positions to disrupt the SSU's work to defend itself against Russia;

- contributed to the Russian aggression and was an accomplice in the plan to surrender Ukraine to the Russian occupiers.

- managed smuggling and undermined Ukraine's economy in the interests of the Russian Federation.

Bakanov's being at large is simply an outrage against the law and justice, it is a betrayal not only of the state, but also of the memory of those tens of thousands of heroes who died and continue to die to remedy the consequences of the actions of Bakanov and his Russian leaders. Ivan Bakanov, in my opinion, is an open enemy who is continuing to fulfil Russia's tasks and continuing to act against Ukraine.

Yurii Butusov, Censor. NET