SBI declared suspicions against FSB director Oleksandr Bortnikov and 20 other generals of the Russian Federation

The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) declared suspicion against the director of the Russian FSB Oleksandr Bortnikov and another 20 Russian generals, including the director of the Russian Guard Viktor Zolotov.

This was reported to SBI.

According to the investigation, Bortnikov developed a plan to suppress the Revolution of Dignity in 2013-2014 so that the fugitive ex-president Yanukovych would retain power. The ultimate goal was to annex part of Ukraine under the pretext of an alleged "civil confrontation".

One of the key tasks of the FSB was to prevent the European integration processes of Ukraine and membership in NATO, as this threatened Russiaʼs plans to restore the union state, absorb and include the former Soviet republics, in particular Ukraine.

The Russian Federation planned in advance the refusal of the top leadership of Ukraine from European integration, so measures to prevent and dispersal of protests were developed in advance. For this purpose, in October 2013, the ex-secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Mykola Patrushev came to Ukraine with briefings from the then leadership of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, in particular, the former deputy secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Volodymyr Syvkovych, who is hiding in Russia and, according to the SBU, works for the FSB.

Dispersal of potential protest actions was to take place with maximum brutality and the use of excessive force to intimidate other activists. The investigation established that in order to stop the protest actions, the head of the FSB Bortnikov instructed the then head of the SBU Oleksandr Yakimenko, who also had Russian citizenship, to assist (personally and with the involvement of subordinates) FSB employees.

For this purpose, in November-December 2013, the head of the Anti-Terrorist Center, the first deputy head of the Security Service of Ukraine, brought subordinate special forces to a higher level of readiness. The level of the terrorist threat was defined as "potential", which equated the protesters with potential terrorists. The basis was false reports of the head of the Department of National Statehood of the SBU.

In December 2013, the commander of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, on the instructions of the deputy commander of the Russian Internal Troops, began preparations for the violent crackdown and execution of activists. For this purpose, on December 12, he wrote a letter to the Minister of Defense of Ukraine about the free transfer of four million rounds of ammunition, 100 000 VOG-25 grenade launchers, and other military property to the internal troops.

In addition, on the instructions of FSB Director Bortnikov, 20 FSB officers arrived in Kyiv on December 13, 2013, and instructed Ukrainian law enforcement officers on how to disperse Euromaidan. On their instructions, Ukrainian law enforcement officers collected video recordings that provoked social conflicts between the participants of the Maidan and its opponents. Work reports were sent to the FSB.

To whom the suspicions were announced

Oleksandr Bortnikov, director of the FSB of the Russian Federation, was charged with organizing treason by the former leadership of the SBU, inciting national enmity and hatred in Ukraine, and illegally obstructing protest actions in 2013-2014.

Twenty employees of the FSB of the Russian Federation were charged with illegal obstruction of protests. Among them are the generals: chief of the 2nd Service (protection of the constitutional order and fight against terrorism) of the FSB of the Russian Federation O. Syedov, his deputy O. Zhalo, first deputy head of the Department of this Service S. Yegorov, first deputy head of the Department of Operational Information V. Pavlik, deputy chief A. Yatsenko, Director of the FSB of the Russian Federation in Moscow, and Viktor Zolotov, Director of the Russian Guard.

The former head of the Security Service of Ukraine, the head of the Department of Protection of National Statehood of the Security Service of Ukraine, was charged with illegally obstructing protests and voluntarily occupying positions in the security agencies of the aggressor state in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

The first deputy head of the SBU, the head of the Anti-Terrorist Center, was charged with illegal obstruction of protests.