Ukrainian intelligence claims that the FSB was on its way to smuggle Putin’s friend Viktor Medvedchuk from Ukraine and into Moscow when they arrested the oligarch. The Kremlin will not trade him for Ukrainian prisoners of war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Who brought the news? About the arrest of the powerful politician – who suggested to Moscow that Medvedchuk (67) could be exchanged with Ukrainians in Russian captivity.
– He is not a Russian citizen. It has nothing to do with the special military operation. He is a foreign politician, says Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, according to Russia and Ukrainian media.
– FSB Plan
However, Medvedchuk is known to be a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is said to be the youngest father to Medvedchuk’s youngest daughter. Viktor Medvedtsjok escaped house arrest three days before the war.
Head of Ukraine’s intelligence service, SBU, Ivan Bakanov, tells in detail about the long-running hunt for Medvedchuk, according to reports Ukrinform. According to him, the process took a whole month. Medvedtsjuk escaped house arrest only three days after the war, but never left Ukraine. Now, however, the Russian FSB has the plan ready, according to Bakanov.
– Medvedchuk was transferred first from Ukraine to Transnistria, and then to Moscow.
Transnistria is the Russian-controlled part of Moldova – which borders Ukraine.
– Even representatives of the criminal world and corrupt police officers are involved, according to Bakanov, who also claims that the FSB has a plan to spread fake Medvedtsjuk to confuse Ukrainians.
According to the head of the SBU, Medvedtszhuk was arrested on his way out of Kyiv.
against war
Putin’s spokesman Peskov said that Medvedchuk has always defended peace, against war and against the escalation of conflict in Donbass, eastern Ukraine.
– If you had followed his ideas and the ideas of his party, there would have been no military operation, says Dmitry Peskov.
Since 2018, Medvedchuk has led the largest pro-Russian party in Ukraine – the Opposition Platform – for Life. He himself denied that the party was pro-Russian. got his party Second largest number of votes In the 2019 parliamentary elections – 13 percent.
In February 2021, Medvedchuk and his wife Oksana Martjenko (a well-known TV personality) were placed on the sanctions list, accused of financing terrorism. Medviuk was also accused of doing business in Russia-annexed Crimea – something prohibited under Ukrainian law. It is considered “plundering of national resources”.
President Zelenskyj specifically responds to the fact that Medvedtsjuk was dressed as a soldier when he was arrested:
I find his use of military camouflage particularly ironic, says Zelensky.
The wife prays for him
Putin is a close ally of Putin. The two first met in 2003 when Medvedchuk worked in the presidential administration of Leonid Kuchma. According to a number of sources, in 2004 Putin became the godfather of the youngest daughter of Ukraine, Darina. Medvedchuk himself said that it was his wife Marchenko who suggested this.
In an interview with Oliver Stone In 2017, Putin said that he met with Medvedchuk from time to time.
“I don’t want to say that we are very close, but we know each other very well,” said President Putin.
Victor Medvedchuk has repeatedly claimed that he is using his good relationship with Putin to the advantage of Ukraine. Among other things, he said in an interview with The Independent in 2018 that he helped exchange prisoners in the Donbass. Medvedchuk also stated that he and Putin disagree about Ukraine as a country.
He is an oligarch, dictator, law professor and thus one of the most famous politicians in Ukraine. His party was one of 11 identified illegally after the start of the war – due to its association with Russia. Moscow condemned it as a huge mistake by President Zelensky – and claimed that this would lead to the partition of Ukraine.
TASS reported that Medvedchuk’s wife, Oksana Marchenko, called Zelensky to help release her husband.
I ask them to make sure that my husband is released as soon as possible. It alleges that he is being unlawfully detained by the SBU YouTube channel.
– She said that he did not break any Ukrainian laws and did not leave the territory.
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