Reznikov regarding Tatarov’s possible participation in the defense of the capital: “There were DRGs in Kyiv, I know that for sure as the Minister of Defense”

At the beginning of the full-scale war, Russian subversive intelligence groups (DRG) were indeed active in Kyiv. But they did not break through the defense lines of the Armed Forces, but were infiltrated in advance. Oleksiy Reznikov, who was the Minister of Defense of Ukraine at the time, told about this in an exclusive interview with Radio Liberty. He made this statement against the background of reports by journalists and participants in the defense of Kyiv that there were allegedly no Russian DRGs in Kyiv, and all cases of their “detection” were “friendly fire.”

“As for whether there were DRGs in Kyiv, yes, they were. I know this for sure as the Minister of Defense. And they were destroyed by our forces of security and law and order. Unfortunately, there were tragic incidents and friendly fire (“friendly fire” – ed.)as they say, the National Guardsmen also died… DRG were in the city of Kyiv, they were infiltrated in advance. Even restaurateurs told me how, two days before, people did not settle in the restaurant and said: “nothing, nothing, because of…” and then switched to Russian: “in two days, you will all owe us.” That’s why the Russians or their collaborators were in Kyiv, that’s true,” said Reznikov, answering the question of whether Oleg Tatarov, the deputy head of the President’s Office, could “kill Chechens in Kyiv.”

Reznikov could neither confirm nor deny the information that “Tatarov allegedly personally participated in the defense of Kyiv.”

Watch Radio Svoboda’s full conversation with Oleksiy Reznikov tomorrow at 09:00 on our YouTube.

Previously, veteran Oleg Simoroz, a participant in the defense of Kyiv, stated on Svoboda Live that there were no Russian DRGs in Kyiv. However, whether he meant only those who could theoretically break through the defense, or those who could be infiltrated in advance, is not known.

“It’s not a secret anymore. I don’t want to talk about it, but, unfortunately, in the first days of the full-scale invasion of Kyiv, the messages given by the Ukrainian authorities and many other public figures who said that Russian DRGs were working in Kyiv, and DRGs were being killed, unfortunately, it turned out “by friendly fire,” Simoroz said.

Military observer Yuriy Butusov also spoke about this.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said at a press conference in Kyiv on August 27 that the Deputy Head of the Office of the President Oleg Tatarov together with the head of the SBU Vasyl Malyuk “killed Chechens in Kyiv” at the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia.