Ukraine captured pro-Putin politician Viktor Medvedchuk on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed.
Zelensky introduced the seize in a put up on his Telegram Tuesday afternoon, including that extra particulars in regards to the seize can be introduced later. The message got here alongside a photograph of Medvedchuk in handcuffs.
"A particular operation was carried out because of the SBU. Properly completed! Particulars later," Zelensky wrote. "Glory to Ukraine!"
Medvedchuk is a detailed good friend to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who he has claimed is the godfather to his daughter. Particulars in regards to the seize weren't instantly clear.
Medvedchuk served because the chief of Ukraine's Opposition Platform—For Life celebration.
"You might be pro-Russian politician and work for aggressor for years. You may evade justice. You may even put on Ukrainian navy uniform. However are you able to evade punishment? By no means! Handcuffs await you," wrote the Safety Service of Ukraine in a Fb put up following his seize.
Chairman Ivan Bakanov stated, "I thank all of the SBU officers, particularly, investigators and counterintelligence officers of the Ukrainian particular companies, who, following the directions of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, proved their professionalism and performed this lightning-fast and harmful multilevel particular operation to detain MP Medvedchuk."
"No traitor will escape punishment and will probably be held accountable beneath the Regulation of Ukraine. For all of the severity, for all of the crimes of as we speak, which led to his private actions," he added.
He had been beneath home arrest since final yr after authorities opened a treason case towards him, however Ukrainian authorities stated he escaped home arrest in late February—simply days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine started, Reuters reported.
Ukrainian authorities accused him of trying to steal state assets in Crimea, the area of Ukraine Russia annexed in 2014, in keeping with Reuters.
He claimed to have needed to change his location because of threats from nationalist teams.
Some specialists speculated that Putin would possibly choose Medvedchuk to turn into a "puppet chief" of Ukraine ought to the nation fall to Russia—a situation that has turn into much less probably because the early days of the invasion—because of his anti-West beliefs and shut ties to Putin.
"Even when he wasn't the primary, he may be the precise primary, even when they put another figurehead there," Jaro Bilocerkowycz, an skilled on Ukraine and Russia with the College of Dayton, instructed Newsweek in February.
As western international locations search to punish Putin-connected oligarchs for the invasion, his 300-foot mega yacht, The Royal Romance, was seized within the bay of Rijeka in March.
Newsweek reached out to the Russian international ministry for remark.
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