Valeriy Zaluzhny, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom and former commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, has revealed significant disagreements with President Volodymyr Zelensky during a tumultuous period in 2022. In an interview with the Associated Press, Zaluzhny recounted a tense meeting at Zelensky’s office, which was followed by an unexpected visit from security agents.
In September 2022, shortly after returning to his office in Kyiv, Zaluzhny experienced a sudden raid by dozens of agents from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). He noted that British officers were also present during this incident.
Zaluzhny stated that the SBU personnel did not clarify the reason for their visit, leading him to deny them access to his computers and documents. He described the situation as a “clear threat” and contacted Andriy Yermak, then head of the President’s Office, to address the matter.
“I told Yermak that I would repel this attack because I know how to fight,” Zaluzhny said.
He subsequently reached out to Vasyl Maliuk, then head of the SBU, who claimed to be unaware of the raid and promised to investigate the situation.
Further inquiries revealed that two days prior to the incident, the SBU had sought a search warrant from a Kyiv district court for the same address. According to court documents cited by the Associated Press, the agency intended to search a strip club allegedly linked to organized crime. However, employees of the establishment informed the AP that it had ceased operations at that location prior to the onset of the full-scale war.
Zaluzhny expressed skepticism regarding the legitimacy of the search warrant, suggesting it served merely as a pretext for the raid. He questioned the likelihood that the SBU could have mistakenly targeted the primary military command center of the country.
In a statement to Suspilne, the SBU indicated that multiple addresses were under investigation at that time as part of a broader criminal case concerning organized crime. Notably, one of the addresses mentioned was reportedly one of Zaluzhny’s concealed backup command posts.
“In fact, no searches or investigative actions by the SBU took place at that address. Additionally, Vasyl Maliuk and Valeriy Zaluzhny communicated this directly and personally; the situation was clarified,” the SBU stated.
Valeriy Zaluzhny has detailed a significant incident involving a raid by the SBU that followed a tense meeting with President Zelensky. The ambassador expressed doubts about the legitimacy of the search warrant, which he believes was a pretext for the operation.
Source: Associated Press