Kiev warns of Russian sleeper cells
Ukrainian President Selensky warns of Russia's plans to overthrow the government. The Secretary of the National Security Council is more specific. According to him, Moscow has already activated its sleeper cells. Due to the lack of success on the battlefield, the destabilization of Ukraine is now a priority, he says.
The government in Kiev assumes that Russia has activated its network of sleeper cells in Ukraine over the past two months in order to further destabilize the country. The Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Olexiy Danilov, says in an interview with the British Times. "They know that they cannot win militarily, so attempts at internal destabilization are now a priority," says Danilov about Moscow's intentions.
Russian agents are trying to exploit the alleged tensions between President Volodomyr Zelensky and Commander-in-Chief Valery Salushny by spreading misrepresentations in order to drive a wedge between the political and military leadership.
Another attempt is to stir up public opinion against the government. The agents are targeting family members of Ukrainian soldiers who are fighting at the front or are Russian prisoners of war, says Danilov. The activation of the sleeper cells is a reaction to Russia's limited successes on the battlefield. Putin is determined to achieve a tangible success before the presidential elections in March.
"Made a big mistake in 1991"
According to Danilov, many of the Russian secret agents work undercover in the Ukrainian domestic intelligence service SBU. "We made a big mistake in 1991 when we didn't disband the KGB, but only changed its name to the SBU." Later, when the pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych was in power, the secret service was heavily infiltrated by FSB agents. "Unfortunately, we have to realize that we have not managed to clean up all the security apparatuses. That's why there are traitors there, of course," said Danilov.
President Zelensky warned two weeks ago that Russia was planning a coup in Ukraine. A disinformation plan is being forged in Moscow. The aim is to divide Ukrainian society and create chaos in order to ultimately bring about the overthrow of the government. The name of the plan, "Maidan 3", refers to the protests in Kiev in 2004 and 2013-2014, which led to the overthrow of then President Yanukovych.
Following President Selensky's warning, concerns about Russian influence heighten. Russo-Ukrainian tensions escalate as Ukrainian intelligence reports an Attack on Ukraine through the activation of Russian sleeper cells within their territory. The alleged attack aims to exploit internal divisions and sabotage government institutions, as revealed by Ukraine's Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Olexiy Danilov.
Source: www.ntv.de
