SBU Checks Possible Link Between Suspect in Contract Killing of Its Officer and Russian Special Services

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) will study in detail the possible link between former first deputy chief of the SBU Dmytro Neskoromny, who is suspected of organising the contract murder of Andriy Naumov, and the special services of the Russian Federation.

“As we can see from audio recordings published in the media, a Russian trace could have been here. Therefore, a possible link between a suspect and special services of the aggressor country will be studied in detail,” Chief of the Security Service of Ukraine Ivan Bakanov said at a closed joint meeting of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defence and Intelligence and the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Law Enforcement.

The motive for preparing the contract murder of Andriy Naumov, head of the SBU’s Internal Security Department, was his professional activity as he had not allowed a criminal group to appoint its people to positions in the SBU. The published recordings of the defendants’ conversations clearly confirm this.

Ivan Bakanov also noted that the Security Service has a unique experience in solving contract killings as there were 12 such cases in 2020.

“Solving the contract murder of Andriy Naumov is no different from other similar crimes. For us, all lives have the same value,” the SBU head emphasised.

In particular, the high-profile cases included the murder of activist Kateryna Handziuk, the prevention of the murder of volunteer Adam Osmayev and the detention of SBU Major General Valeriy Shaitanov, who planned this crime.

“A traitor in our Service is, of course, an unpleasant fact. But detaining him and other people shows that we have embarked on a course to clean up the SBU and build a new – effective and efficient – security service,” Ivan Bakanov stressed.

He stressed that the SBU operates exclusively with facts and evidence in its activities. “Our task is to prevent crimes and do everything to keep the country safe, and not to react to PR waves, especially when they are still fueled from outside and have obvious motives,” Bakanov said.

As a reminder, on 27 January, the SBU published evidence of the involvement of former first deputy chief of the Security Service of Ukraine Dmytro Neskoromny in organising the preparation of murder of head of the SBU’s Main Internal Security Department Andriy Naumov.

Neskoromny was served with the notice of charges under Part 1 of Article 14, Part 2 of Article 28 and Article 348 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Natalia Tolub