Zelenskyy fires his top security chief and prosecutor, citing treason and 'crimes against the foundations of the state's national security'

Ukrainian President Volodyrmyr Zelenskyy seen on March 10, 2022.

Office of the President of Ukraine

• In his nightly address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced new treason investigations. 
• He fired his top security chief and prosecutor as over 60 employees of their offices are suspected of working against the state. 
• "It can truly be called self-purification," Zelenskyy said. 

In his nightly national address on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced hundreds of criminal proceedings resulting from treason investigations in the nation's security services and among prosecutors in the country.

"As of today, 651 criminal proceedings have been registered regarding treason and collaboration activities of employees of prosecutors' offices, pretrial investigation bodies, and other law enforcement agencies," Zelenskyy said. "In particular, more than 60 employees of the prosecutor's office and the security service of Ukraine remained in the occupied territory and are working against our state."

Zelenskyy added that on Sunday he dismissed the Prosecutor General, Iryna Venediktova, from her position and fired Ivan Bakanov, the head of the Security Service of Ukraine, citing the growing concerns about treason in their offices. 

"Such an array of crimes against the foundations of the national security of the state and the connections detected between the employees of the security forces of Ukraine and the special services of Russia pose very serious questions to the relevant leadership. Each of these questions will receive a proper answer."

It has been 144 days since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In that time, Russia has fired more than 3,000 cruise missiles at populated areas of Ukraine and killed more than 10,000 civilians, according to the United Nations.

Zelenskyy said as violence spread through the region, members of the Ukrainian security services and law enforcement offices shared secret information with invading forces and cooperated with Russian officials. 

"I want to thank everyone who participated in this operation," Zelenskyy said. "It can truly be called self-purification."

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