(MENAFN- UkrinForm) The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has collected new evidence of treason against Volodymyr Sivkovych, the former deputy secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, who is currently hiding in Russia.
That's according to the SBU's press service , Ukrinform reports.
It was established that the former official was involved in organizing large-scale information campaigns aimed at artificially discrediting Ukraine's top military and Political leadership in favor of the Kremlin. He invited well-known Ukrainian politicians to cooperation.
MP Nestor Shufrych, charged with treason, is among those involved. He was a major "speaker." Under the coordination of Sivkovych, Shufrych publicized Kremlin narratives during his appearances on television and online news sites.
Sivkovych's henchmen spread fake news about the domestic situation in Ukraine and Moscow's "theses" about "no alternatives" to the pro-Russian vector in Ukraine's foreign policy.
In this way, the Kremlin tried to destabilize the situation inside Ukraine as much as possible before the full-scale invasion and discredit Kyiv in the eyes of its Western partners.
In order to avoid punishment for the attempted violent crackdown on the Maidan protesters in 2014, Sivkovych left for Moscow, where he began organizing a massive information sabotage campaign against Ukraine's state security.
According to the SBU, this is a priority task that the ex-official was performing at the direction of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB).
Sivkovych is charged with treason committed by a group of individuals on prior conspiracy (Part 2 of Article 28 and Part 1 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). He faces life imprisonment.
Measures are being taken to bring the suspect to justice.
In July 2022, Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation approved a suspicion notice for Sivkovych for his involvement in conducting intelligence and subversive activities against Ukraine.
At the time, the ex-official's actions were qualified under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, particularly Part 1 of Article 255 (creation, management of a criminal community or criminal organization, as well as participation in it) and Part 1 of Article 111 (treason).
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