Special Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained a high-ranking government official on suspicion of espionage for Russia, the agency’s press service reported on Dec. 20.
The detained man turned out to be Stanislav Yezhov who served as the deputy head of the protocol for the Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman. He is suspected of collecting insider information about the work of Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers for Russian intelligence agencies. SBU opened a criminal case for state treason.
Yezhov, 39, has long worked for Ukrainian government. He is a former employee of Ukrainian embassies in Slovenia and the United States and worked for the administration of ex-President Viktor Yanukovych. He was Groysman’s interpreter during his time as speaker of the Verkhovna Rada and later followed him to the Cabinet of Ministers when he became prime minister in 2016.
“The official had access to insider information about the Cabinet of Ministers. He was respected. And he responsibly and diligently worked for the Russian special services,” head of the counterintelligence department at SBU Oleksiy Petrov said in an interview to Pryamiy TV channel.
Ukrainska Pravda reported citing sources in the government that SBU told Groysman that Yezhov worked for Russia months ago. Before formally arresting Yezhov, SBU surveilled him for several months.
According to Yezhov’s declaration, he is married to a Russian citizen Yulia Miroshnichenko. She works for DTEK, an energy company owned by Ukraine’s richest man, oligarch Rinat Akhmetov.
